Castaways
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: During an unfortunate mishap while conducting their annual duties as Magical Ambassadors, Cedric and Sofia find themselves stranded on an island with their magic somehow depleted. They have to work together to survive and stay collected, but that may be easier said than done. (Requested by Mr. Shortman92 – Last year. Lol. Sorry it took so long!)
1. Disaster in Dokken

Castaways

Summary: During an unfortunate mishap while conducting their annual duties as Magical Ambassadors, Cedric and Sofia find themselves stranded on an island with their magic somehow depleted. They have to work together to survive and stay collected, but that may be easier said than done. (Requested by Mr. Shortman92 – Last year. Lol. Sorry it took so long!)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. The other new OCs and kingdoms (specifically Dokken) belong to Mr. Shortman92.

A/N: How's this for a personal challenge? Every single chapter of this story is posted on the same day, within minutes of each other. O.o I've done it before, but it's not easy! Haha. Anyway, you'll see our famous duo have a bit more argumentative situations in here, and yes, a lot of inspiration did come from the Tom Hanks movie. Mr. Shortman92 sent me all the info I needed to know last year, and I've compiled it all into a set of notes, which I've followed to the best of my ability. And yes, MS92, I guess this is an AquaMan production. Lol! Hope you all enjoy but buckle up. It's going to be quite a ride. :D

* * *

Chapter 1: Disaster in Dokken

* * *

Summertime for most people meant vacationing with family or friends in far-off kingdoms, lounging around until some of the later hours of the day, or even taking time to catch up on things missed throughout the rest of the year. It was a time to relax and have parties.

But not for Cedric and Sofia. For the last four years, they'd been acting as Magical Ambassadors for Enchancia and conducting their quests on behalf of Roland. In those years, they'd managed to form ties with several new kingdoms, re-establish ties with familiar kingdoms, and expand their own knowledge of magic in general. Thanks to Sir Finlay's guidance, they were elite members of the Magical Ambassadors Program as well, which enabled them to make these journeys each summer.

Naturally, with their summer-long voyage, they were unable to bring Nana with them. She was in Enchancia under the care of Amber and Desmond (and anyone else who opted to help). Explaining to their charge that they would be gone for a few _months_ (since she'd never experienced this particular event and thus their lengthy absence) had been extremely difficult. There were lots of tears—not all of them from Nana either.

Still, this journey and obligation were now part of a yearly routine, and they'd explained to the little girl that they would be back before she knew it. Besides, she had so many people in the castle to hang out with, including Corban (her best friend in the world), so that made her a little happier. It wasn't easy to depart with a child they'd worked so hard to protect and raise as their own, but they knew this separation was only temporary.

And besides, now they were on their way to their final kingdom, and a little over two weeks ahead of schedule at that! Everything else had gone so smoothly and rapidly that they figured they'd be back in Enchancia much earlier than anticipated.

"I can't believe this is our last stop," Sofia said, sighing tiredly as she leaned against Cedric and played absently with the little strawberry plush toy he'd made her last year (before they even knew of Nana). Just having that precious memento with her helped her feel like their little one was close by, especially since it smelled of fresh strawberries, even after all those months.

"Neither can I," he admitted as he gently rubbed her arm while he was flipping through their agenda with his free hand. "We need only to meet with the queen of the Kingdom of Dokken, establish ties with her, and then we should be on the way home within a few days."

The princess grinned at her partner. "And earlier than usual. How did you manage that?"

"I'm not quite sure, to be perfectly honest with you. We didn't miss any kingdoms; I checked. And we even had new ones added, so…" He shrugged. "Then again, some of the kingdoms we visited had rulers who simply wanted to sign the contracts and send us on our way, which I was _more _than willing to do." He chuckled.

"Of course." She smiled softly as she closed her eyes. "At least this trip was productive. Not that the others weren't, but… Well, the first year alone was _challenging_, to say the least."

Cedric didn't respond to her acknowledgement. Just thinking about that time four years ago when they'd traveled as Magical Ambassadors for the first time was bittersweet. Granted, a lot of good things had come from that journey, but a great deal of pain had come as well. Sofia still talked about Master Elgraste on occasion, and he could always tell that she had some form of survivor's guilt due to the man's sacrifice. He held nothing but gratitude for the former ruler, though. Not only had he saved his best friend, but he'd also afforded her the chance to be an important figure in a helpless child's life. It had all come full circle, as far as he was concerned. Besides, life without Sofia would have been horrible, and he wasn't quite sure how he would have handled the aftereffects. Probably rather poorly, he imagined.

"At least we will be able to get back to Nana and the others faster," the princess concluded, holding her precious strawberry plush toy closer to herself. "I miss her so much."

"Me too." Cedric closed his agenda and set it on the floor of the AutoCoach as he settled into his seat a bit better. He gestured once, smiling as Sofia shifted from lying against his shoulder to reclining on the seat, her head now in his lap. He trailed his fingers through her hair, causing her to sigh in relaxation. "Get some rest, my dear. We've got another two hours to go until we get to Dokken."

A sleepy smile spread on her face as she closed her eyes, a soft exhale escaping her. "Sounds good to me… Just wake me when we get there, I guess." She turned a bit, smiling up at him. "Unless you choose to get a nap of your own."

He smiled down at her. "It does sound enticing, but one of us has to keep an eye on the navigation. Magical or not, the AutoCoach can make a few errors here and there, and I'd rather prevent that if possible."

"Whatever you say, Cedric." She turned back around and sighed happily, her eyes closed once more and her entire form completely relaxed. Before long, she was asleep.

While the princess slept, Cedric monitored their position and found that everything seemed to be on track. The AutoCoach was making excellent time (as he'd hoped), and even the weather conditions were good. When they'd visited Helvetica a week or so ago, it had rained practically the whole time they were there. Talk about a gloomy visit, although the children hadn't seemed to mind. They were just glad their 'Ceddy and Sofie' had come for a visit. And it was nice to see them without the looming uncertainty of the Never Realm hanging over their heads for a change.

Sofia had certainly made the trip more entertaining too. It was possible this trip was much needed for both of them, especially after the last several trying months. But the princess had kept their spirits up throughout the trip, joking around with him and playing a variety of different games. She had even taught _him _a new magic spell that he'd never heard of before (allegedly from Ms. Fauna herself when they'd come across the fairies about two weeks into their journey). She was good for his spirit, and he knew this rather well. This trip alone would have been far melancholier and more straining without his best friend with him.

He gently ran his thumb over her left hand, grazing the BerryBand nestled on her middle finger. Cedric smiled thoughtfully, wondering what Nana was up to right now. He missed her a great deal, though he was very much elated that they'd be reunited soon.

...

* * *

The two hours passed by, and before long the AutoCoach arrived in the Kingdom of Dokken. It seemed to be mountainous on the outer area of the kingdom, though the castle itself was nestled just on the edge of a cliff, its crystal-like structure a light color and glistening under the sun. It looked like something out of a fairytale.

"This is a rather unique area for a castle," Cedric murmured to Sofia as they prepared for the AutoCoach's final descent. "Most are at least on level land. This one is literally on a cliff." It was pretty obvious that he was a bit hesitant about nearing the dangerous area, but he knew they didn't really have much of a choice.

"I guess that makes it more interesting," she giggled as she maneuvered to the other side of the coach, getting ready to exit. "Besides, if all castles were the same, they'd lose their intrigue. Right?"

He shrugged with a nervous laugh. "I suppose. I just hope it's built securely enough…"

Once the AutoCoach landed at the entrance to the crystal castle, the friends exited and were instantly greeted by a rather enthusiastic presence.

"You must be Princess Sofia and Cedric the Great," the man greeted with an infectious smile. "We have been expecting you, though you're a bit earlier than we were anticipating. However, not to worry; everything is already prepared for you. I am Halford, the royal steward for the Dokken castle and Her Majesty Queen Delora."

The steward, Halford, appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties. He had a light olive complexion. He wore his blonde hair tied back in an immaculate ponytail that just barely brushed his collar. His hazel eyes seemed to dance with excitable mirth, evidence that he really enjoyed his job. His entire outfit was black, including his jacket, pants, and boots. The only different colors to be seen were his white collared shirt beneath the jacket and the grayish white cravat tied around his neck.

Sofia smiled as the man bowed to them, and she returned the gesture by curtsying once. She nearly fell over though, given that they were on jagged terrain. She laughed as Cedric caught her before she could trip over anything. "Thanks, Cedric."

He smirked. "Saved you again, my dear."

Halford looked between the two before chuckling. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the queen. She's been looking forward to your visit, as has our royal witch. You'll likely meet her tomorrow though, since she's away on business for the day."

The princess's eyes widened in interest as the three of them approached the castle gates. "You have a royal witch? That's awesome!"

"Yes. Her name is Abigail, and she's just turned sixteen this month, actually."

"Isn't sixteen rather young to be a royal witch?" Cedric wondered as he followed the steward. "Oh, what am I saying?" He winked toward Sofia, who grinned. "At sixteen, _you_ were saving a kingdom from an evil entity. _Again_."

"Ooh, you speak of Reimagia, correct?" Halford quickly slapped the hands of the guards away as they tried to reach to open the doors for them, and he did it himself, allowing the visitors to enter the castle. He gave the two guards that followed them an annoyed glance, gesturing for them to back off.

"That's right," Sofia admitted with a giggle. "It's where I trained to become a full-fledged sorceress."

"Now _that_ is truly fascinating!" He clasped his hands together and sighed in awe. "What a magnificent and adventurous life you must lead, Princess Sofia."

Cedric rolled his eyes as he placed his hand against Sofia's back, leading her onward. "You don't know the half of it, Halford…"

* * *

Once they entered the throne room, Cedric and Sofia were led to the steps that stretched to a solitary gold throne. Upon that throne sat Queen Delora herself. She appeared to be in her mid-forties, though her fair and unblemished appearance would suggest otherwise, for she seemed to appear younger than she actually was. Her long blonde hair fell in waves down to her waist and was pulled back slightly as a tiara rested on her head. Her green eyes were full of curiosity but also a bit of sadness. Her gown was rather simple with a cream-colored underlayer and a silver outer layer that stretched all the way to the floor. Around her neck was a silver necklace in what appeared to be an abstract shape of a flower.

The two friends bowed or curtsied respectfully to the woman as she stood.

"You must be Princess Sofia and Cedric the Great," the queen acknowledged with a knowing smile as she approached the two visitors. "I've heard of your travels as ambassadors for the Kingdom of Enchancia, though I was previously unaware that my husband had arranged for you to create ties with _our_ kingdom." She suddenly paused, her eyes downcast. "My… My beloved Diggory passed away not too long ago, I'm afraid. Rather unexpectedly too."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Queen Delora," Sofia told her with a perplexed expression as she stood next to Cedric, who seemed focused on what she was saying. "We're honored that you have allowed us to discuss forming ties with Enchancia. I don't know if I'd be able to do this if I were in your situation."

The woman chuckled softly and nodded. "I appreciate that, Princess Sofia. Be grateful you're _not _in the position of having to bury your husband. You're still just a child yourself, yes? What are you? Fifteen?"

The princess frowned in mild annoyance but tried not to let the woman's words affect her. Sure, she was sort of short for her age, but she had hoped that her maturity would have made up for the inches. "I'm eighteen, actually… I'll be nineteen in a few months."

"Still so young. Enjoy it while you can. In either case, I'm glad you've come so far just to conduct your Magical Ambassador duties here, of all places." She made her way over to Cedric, slipping between him and Sofia to gently take his arm. "Why don't I show you around Dokken? It's the least I can do after you've traveled all this way."

Sofia stepped back and folded her arms, a bit miffed that she had basically been pushed aside. Just a minute ago, the queen had been so downcast and sad remembering her husband, and now she'd practically just taken Cedric's attention away. She didn't know _how _to feel about that.

"O-Oh." Cedric laughed nervously before nodding. "Well, certainly, Your Majesty. I just need to get our luggage and—"

"Oh, Halford can do that." She turned and waved to her steward, who briskly hurried over from the other side of the room to bow before his queen. "Halford, see to it that the princess's luggage gets to the Kensington Room, and the royal sorcerer's luggage is to go in the Bartholomew Room."

Halford bowed with effortless flair. "Yes, my queen." He then turned toward the nearby guards. "Tipton, Downing! You heard Queen Delora. Service, if you please!"

While the workers were busy carrying out their duties, Queen Delora led Cedric toward the back of the castle. "Come along, Cedric, and I'll show you the gardens. They're so lovely this time of year."

"Y-Yes, Queen Delora. I just…" He turned and looked over his shoulder toward his partner, who was standing with her arms folded and an annoyed expression on her face. He shrugged helplessly as he mouthed something to her.

Sofia just rolled her eyes and turned, walking away. Clearly, the queen hadn't invited _her_ along for their garden walk. She sighed as the other two slipped outside. Maybe she saw Cedric as more of an authority figure than she did the princess? Maybe she believed it was going to be easier to talk to him? "Ugh. Whatever." She groaned and ran her hands over her face. She was tired. She was hungry. She missed home, her family, her friends, and especially Nana. What she wouldn't give for a few snuggles with the strawberry child at this point…

"Princess Sofia?" Halford called out, smiling toward her as she looked up. "Would you like to see your room?"

"Um… Sure. Thanks." She stole one more glance toward the back of the castle before shaking her head and following the energetic steward.

...

* * *

Sofia looked around her room after entering and was instantly taken aback by how beautiful it was. The color scheme seemed to mimic the ocean, so she felt as though she were practically under the water. There was even a built-in aquarium along one of the walls, and she could see several varieties of fish swimming by. Her bed was what she was used to: a canopy bed. However, this one had sheer curtains that billowed around the bed frame every time the wind blew in from the opened balcony doors. The room contained all the usual amenities too: a full-length mirror, a closet, a vanity, a sofa, etc. It felt similar to her room at home in its own way, but she knew they were still as different as they could be.

The princess gasped as she heard a crash at her door frame, and upon hearing a loud groan, she hurried over to see what had happened. She blinked as she saw one of the guards from earlier on his back and rubbing his head, along with a few of their pieces of luggage scattered on the floor, and the other sentinel stood over him, just shaking his head. "Are you all right?" she asked worriedly.

The younger guard on the floor appeared to be in his mid-twenties. His tousled dirty blonde hair brushed along the collar of his royal guard outfit, which consisted of a rustic-red tunic, dark trousers, and rather intricately decorated boots. A cloak usually dangled from his shoulders, though it was now in a twisted heap around him. His dark eyes peered up at the princess as he laughed sheepishly. "I'm fine, Princess Sofia," he insisted in his heavy English accent. "I'm just a bit…clumsy."

"I can see why you're called 'Tipton,'" the other guard remarked, though with a far more serious demeanor and tone (and a lighter version of the other's accent). "One accidental move, and you've tipped over and fallen yet again to your derriere."

"Ooh, fancy French word from the oh-so-benevolent Downing!" Tipton snickered as he stood up, hauling some of the luggage into his arms.

Downing, the other guard, was much quieter and more serious than his partner. He was in his mid-thirties and possessed lighter blonde hair that fell in a wave around his shoulders. He shared the same type of outfit that Tipton did. His blue eyes were piercing in their own right, though they were also calm, like their owner. The older guard shook his head and gathered the rest of the luggage. "Princess, may we deliver your luggage properly now? I do apologize for taking so long. You can see what I have to work with."

Sofia giggled and nodded, allowing the guards inside. "It's okay. And just set it down wherever you like. I'll sort everything out later."

"I love this room," Tipton gushed as he placed the bags down before hurrying over to the aquarium. He pointed out a rather plump yellow fish that was swimming slowly in the back of the tank. "That's Francois. I named him myself, after King Diggory had this tank installed a few years ago. Francois and I are good chums. Of course, I'm the main one who feeds him, so that's probably why."

"That's pretty neat…" Sofia folded her arms and bit her lip momentarily before sighing. "Um, Tipton? Downing? I don't know if it's a sore subject or anything, but… With King Diggory… What exactly happened to him?"

Downing shook his head once. "No one is quite sure, Princess Sofia. Queen Delora just entered their bedroom one evening to find that he had passed away. He'd been complaining of chest pains earlier that day, so some suspect that it could have been a heart issue, though no one is quite sure. He was in his fifties, so I suppose it's not outside the realm of possibility."

"I see…"

"Well, we'd best get going!" Tipton announced, trying to sound more cheerful to alleviate the seriousness of the topic at hand. He'd never been one for such melancholic conversations anyway. "Got lots to do before our shift change." He bowed to Sofia, Downing following his lead. "It was an honor to meet you, Princess Sofia. If you should need us for anything, we're typically downstairs near the front doors. And Halford will be helping prepare the evening meal, but he's always willing to stop what he's doing if anyone needs help."

Sofia smiled lightly as she nodded. Halford seemed very different from Baileywick—and even from Violet, who'd recently taken over for her dear friend. Halford appeared to be very upbeat, energetic, and completely immersed with and in love with his job. Not that the other two from her own castle weren't, but this man seemed to take it to an entirely different level. Or at least, that's what she'd gathered from the short time of her being there. "Thanks, you guys. I appreciate it." She waited until they'd left before collapsing onto her bed, folding her arms and resting her head on them. "I wonder if Cedric is having a good time with the queen…" She frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm…"

* * *

"My dear Diggory planted all of the flowers you see," Queen Delora informed Cedric as they moved along through her gardens. She seemed to have several, which spanned along the mountainside and down into the valley below. The one they were currently observing was right outside the castle, which overlooked the massive drop from the cliff to the water beneath them.

"Th-That's nice," Cedric mumbled as he strayed a bit farther behind her, gulping as she leaned over the iron fence that had ivy curling around it to reach for a new blossom. "Queen Delora, I beg your pardon, but is that safe?"

She laughed as she grasped the blossom before settling back into safer territory. She smiled as the sorcerer sighed in relief. "I'm fine, Cedric. I do this all the time. I'm not afraid of heights. My castle is on a cliff, for goodness sake."

"Yes, I'd have to relocate if I were in your position." He held one hand to his heart, which was beating rapidly. He'd never done well with heights. Even though he possessed and could control his magic, he knew that panic would set in long before logic if he were to fall from any types of high places.

"I understand. Not everyone can live in a place like this."

He decided that maybe now was a good time to address the elephant in the room, so to speak. "So… We came to your kingdom on behalf of your husband, King Diggory." He noticed her face fall and immediately regretted even broaching the subject. "I… I'm sorry. It must be a sensitive subject."

"It's all right." She forced a smile to her face and shrugged. "What can I say? Diggory and I were married for twenty years. He was a wonderful husband, so his death was a huge shock to me, and to our kingdom. It's possible it was related to a heart defect, or so some of the royal doctors said. Our only daughter recently married as well, and she and her husband are now in his kingdom, so I can't exactly pass this kingdom along to her…" She shook her head. "When _I_ die, my legacy and kingdom will likely pass to my brother. But I'm not even sure he wants to be the king, to be honest. If not, I'll have to find someone else to take his place."

"Oh, so this was originally _your_ kingdom before your marriage?"

She nodded. "Yes. Diggory's kingdom no longer exists. There was a really bad war that destroyed not only his palace and subjects, but pretty much the entire land. He was fortunate to be with me during that time, but he lost everything: his family, his kingdom, and his memories."

"I…" Cedric swallowed once, trying to think of something useful to say. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I appreciate it… It's a sad fact to face, but it's part of the past. And I feel like our past makes us stronger if we realize that we can grow from it." She gestured around, deciding to change the subject. "Would you like to get some flowers for your princess?" She frowned curiously. "I noticed she didn't come with us."

"Yes, I'm not sure why…" He shrugged, rubbing his arm uncertainly. "Perhaps she was just tired? But if you're offering, I would love to get some flowers for her." He lit up a bit as he noticed a bush across the way. "And I know just the ones that will make her day."

Queen Delora smiled.

* * *

Sofia now sat outside the door to her room, playing with the hem of her dress. It had been an hour since Cedric had gone off with Queen Delora to see the apparently splendorous sights the kingdom had to offer. Then again, she wouldn't know… She hadn't exactly been invited.

"Am I being too sensitive?" she murmured to herself, sighing. "The queen just lost her husband. Maybe she sees something in Cedric that she saw in King Diggory." A soft smile played on her lips. "Maybe the king was also taller, intelligent, funny, sweet, and amazing with magic…" She glanced up as she heard hearty laughter from down the hallway. Seeing Cedric and Queen Delora heading her way and practically doubled over in laughter from something, she frowned and pulled herself to her feet before walking over to them.

Queen Delora, noticing the girl, just smiled brightly. "Oh, Princess Sofia! _There_ you are! I thought you were coming with us!"

"I…didn't think I was invited," she answered honestly, clasping her hands together. She noticed Cedric's curious expression and continued, "I mean, you told Cedric that you wanted to show _him_ around the kingdom."

"You should have seen the gardens, Sofia," Cedric enthused with a warm sigh before the queen could respond. "Filled to the brim with roses, chrysanthemums, daisies…"

"That's nice," Sofia interjected, trying to get his attention.

"…_and_ hydrangeas," he finished, smirking as he saw he'd gotten her attention. He knew those were her favorites, after all. He then looked toward the queen, smiling. "I've greatly appreciated your taking the time to show me around, Your Majesty."

She grinned, playfully tapping her fingers against his shoulder and then nose. "The pleasure was mine, Cedric. It's nice to actually talk to someone for a change, too. The workers here are so busy. With you here, at least I'll have a nice conversationalist."

"I'm at your service, Queen Delora."

Sofia realized that whatever 'bond' these two had formed in such a short amount of time, she wasn't exactly in on it. She sighed, getting their attention. "I'm… I think I'm just going to go to bed."

"Oh, but we're having the most amazing meal tonight!" the queen enthused. "Dokkenian roast, seasonal vegetables, desserts from the Dokken Mountains, and of course the finest gooseberry cider." She smiled apologetically toward Sofia. "Don't worry, Princess Sofia. There will also be some chocolate cookies, if the more prestigious desserts aren't to your liking."

_Cookies_? _Now_ it just sounded like she was making fun of her… Treating her like a child, still. Sofia smiled, though it appeared rather forced, before laughing dryly. "_Thanks_, Queen Delora… But…" She frowned as she saw the queen latch onto Cedric's arm again, startling him a bit. "…I think I've lost my appetite… I'll just…see you two in the morning." She bowed once, though she avoided eye contact with either of them, before turning and walking back toward her temporary room.

Cedric managed to pull his arm from the woman's hold before looking toward her. "Er, would you mind if I just spoke with her for a moment before dinner?"

Queen Delora nodded with a smile. "Sure. The upper level dining room is down the hall and to the right. Just past the green vase with the fresh lilies. It's where we like to eat during the summertime." She walked onward as Cedric turned and took off after his partner.

Sofia had just made it to her door before feeling someone grab her arm. She turned and frowned upon seeing her partner. "What?"

"What's wrong, Sofia?" he asked cautiously, sensing some hostility with her. He had a feeling Sofia's current mood had something to do with the queen, though he couldn't quite pinpoint why.

"I'm just not hungry," she lied, blushing a bit as her stomach growled softly, divulging the truth. "Ugh."

He chuckled, releasing her arm. "No sense in lying, my dear. Your body will betray you every time. Why don't you come eat with us?"

"Mm…" She really _was_ hungry. And even though she didn't care for the way the queen had brushed her off, perhaps it had been completely unintentional? "I don't know, Cedric… I don't think she likes me very much."

"What's not to like? Oh, speaking of which…" He reached into his robe and withdrew a sprig of hydrangeas that he'd managed to secure. He adjusted the sprig to where it was the perfect size, and he slid it into her hair, nestling it behind her left ear.

Sofia laughed softly, reaching up to touch the flowers. "What's this for?"

"I remember how much you loved hydrangeas, of course." He gently caressed her cheek. "And I wanted to try to cheer you up. You've seemed down since we got here. Is it because you think the queen doesn't like you?"

"Well—"

"Come on, Ceddy!" the queen called from the other end of the hallway, a bright smile on her face as she waved from the entrance to the dining room. "The food's ready!" She then disappeared inside.

Cedric sighed, wincing a bit at hearing his nickname (though how she knew it was beyond him), before glancing back toward Sofia, who was frowning again. Oh, what now? "Sofia?"

"I think I'll pass on dinner. Thanks, though. Go eat with the queen…" She rolled her eyes. "_Ceddy_." She slipped into her room and closed the door just as he had been about to say something. She sighed and leaned up against the intricate oak, her hand reaching up and pulling the hydrangeas out of her hair. She frowned and tossed them aside before using her wand to change into her pajamas. "Ridiculous…" She walked over to the bed, fell onto it, and pulled the pillows over her head, groaning loudly in frustration.

Cedric wasn't sure what had just happened, but he knew one thing: Sofia wasn't happy. She was clearly irritated (most likely with Queen Delora, for some reason), and now he was sure that he was caught in the middle of it. "Sofia…" He placed his hand on the door, preparing to knock, but he decided against it. "Sleep well, my dear." With that, he turned and walked off toward the dining room to meet up with the queen once again.

To be continued…


	2. Uncoordinated

Castaways

Summary: During an unfortunate mishap while conducting their annual duties as Magical Ambassadors, Cedric and Sofia find themselves stranded on an island with their magic somehow depleted. They have to work together to survive and stay collected, but that may be easier said than done. (Requested by Mr. Shortman92 – Last year. Lol. Sorry it took so long!)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. The other new OCs and kingdoms (specifically Dokken) belong to Mr. Shortman92.

A/N: Well, let's get a bit more drama going, shall we? Not to say that there hasn't been a bit of drama already, but things are about to get sort of complicated. You'll see. By the way, lingonberry is a real thing. If you've ever been to IKEA, you'll probably know what I'm talking about. That stuff is GOOD. Lol!

* * *

Chapter 2: Uncoordinated

* * *

Sofia emerged from her room the next morning, absolutely famished. Granted, she knew it was her own fault for not eating supper. However, she simply couldn't bring herself to eat with Queen Delora, despite Cedric's persuasion.

She'd dressed in one of her newer outfits today. It was a knee-length layered magenta robe-dress that consisted of purple buttons spanning the length of the dress. Around her waist was a gold sash that was tied into an intricate bow in the back. She wore purple leggings beneath the robe-dress and magenta boots with little strawberry patterns on either side of each boot. She left all her usual jewelry in its place, and she'd tied her hair back into a half-up style this morning, along with the hydrangea barrette Cedric had made for her a while ago.

Just thinking of her friend made her feel a bit guilty. He'd given her those fresh hydrangeas last night, not thinking of anything but her happiness, and what had she done? Tossed them on the floor when she'd shut him out. She knew she needed to apologize to him. He didn't deserve that.

"Good morning, Princess Sofia!" Halford greeted pleasantly as she neared him. "I was surprised that you didn't eat with Queen Delora and your friend last night. The Dokkenian roast is one of the most exquisite meals we serve."

She smiled sheepishly, shrugging. "I guess I just…wasn't that hungry last night. But I am _very_ hungry now."

He grinned. "I can imagine. Come along, and I'll fetch you something to eat. How do lingonberry pancakes and eggs sound?"

The princess nodded enthusiastically. "Sounds amazing. And do you have any juice, by any chance?"

"Certainly. We have just about every kind you can think of. What would you like?"

She pondered this for a moment before smiling at him. "Grape juice?"

He winked. "You've got it." He led her into the upper level dining room and pulled out a chair for her at the lengthy table, waiting for her to sit before bowing to her. "Won't be a long wait, Princess Sofia. Maybe ten minutes. The chefs are already cooking breakfast for the rest of the castle, including the workers, but you're one of our top priorities."

"That's very kind, Halford, but you don't have to make me a preference. I'm just a visitor."

The older man chuckled. "A special visitor. I'm afraid Queen Delora doesn't get many these days." He turned and pressed onward toward the direction of the kitchen, while Sofia sat back in her chair and sighed.

Oh, yeah. All that guilt was creeping back over her yet again. Now, not only did she feel bad for treating Cedric's gift so poorly, but she also hated how cross she'd been concerning the queen. Queen Delora didn't seem like a bad or malicious person by any means. She could even empathize with the older woman in terms of losing a loved one or someone she'd admired, but to lose her husband—her other half and the love of her life—had to be something on an entirely different level.

Did she even have children or anyone to support her? Not having spoken with the woman at all (save for their initial introduction and just briefly after she and Cedric had returned from their walk yesterday), she wasn't so sure. She hadn't _seen_ any children around the castle grounds, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. They could be away at camp, or they could very well be grown up and off on their own. Either way, she was sure it must have been lonely living in such a big castle without an important part of her family… She knew how lonely her own castle could feel, even with all the workers seeing to her every need, if she was the only one there. But to have that last…forever?

She must have gotten lost in her thoughts, because before she knew it, a hot plate of food was set before her, along with her requested grape juice. She grinned excitedly upon seeing the stack of three pancakes with lingonberry sauce, the most perfect sunny-side up eggs she'd ever seen, and a few orange wedges as well. She glanced to her side and nodded appreciatively toward Halford. "Thanks, Halford. This looks amazing!" She loosened her silverware from her cloth napkin (which she draped into her lap) and happily began eating. "Mm!"

Halford chuckled as he smiled. "Good food tends to have a positive effect on people, or so I've found. Enjoy, Princess Sofia." He bowed once before hurrying off to his next task.

Sofia laughed softly. "I wish I had _half _his energy…" She got in a few more bites before gasping as she felt a hand fall on her shoulder. Turning, she sighed in relief. "Cedric…"

He smiled at her before sitting down next to her in the vacant chair. "Are you…feeling all right this morning?"

She paused at his question before setting her fork onto the plate as she turned slightly toward him. "I guess so. I'm…sorry about yesterday. I guess I was just feeling out of place."

Cedric shrugged once as he clasped his hands in his lap. "I suppose I can understand that. You're not always going to be comfortable in new situations, and that's perfectly fine."

The princess nodded silently. How could he do that? How could he basically justify her previous actions without making her look awful? She knew that she'd overreacted yesterday, and here Cedric was, unwittingly pardoning her behavior. Still, maybe it was best not to dwell on it now. It was done. Today was a new day.

"What have you got there anyway?" he wondered as he leaned toward her plate, humming in appreciation as he smelled the aroma of the food. "That looks good."

"Here, try these." She picked up a spare fork and cut into the pancakes, pushing the tines into them before holding the fork up to his mouth. Seeing his surprised expression, she grinned and shrugged. "They're good."

Cedric blinked once before accepting the bite, nodding happily as she lowered the fork again. "Oh, that's amazing…"

"That's what I said! When Halford comes back through, you need to ask him for a plate."

"Actually…" He laughed softly before smiling uncertainly toward his friend, who stared at him curiously. "Queen Delora and I ate breakfast on the veranda outside this morning, just at sunrise."

Sofia frowned. "You were up at _sunrise_?" She reached over and felt his forehead and cheeks with the back of her hand. "Are you feeling all right, Cedric?"

He chuckled and grasped her hand, lowering it and simply holding it.

"Wait…" She pulled her hand from his and folded her arms. "You guys ate without me?"

"Er…" He could tell she was becoming annoyed, and he knew he had to placate this situation as best as he could. "Halford said he'd attempted to wake you up, but there was no response when he knocked."

"Cedric, _you_ could have come and woken me up." She rolled her eyes. "And don't try to tell me that you couldn't. We shared a room in Reimagia for months, for goodness sake. I wouldn't have cared if _you_ woke me up."

"I apologize, my dear." He sighed and began to stand up. "It seems I can't do anything right lately."

"Wait, Cedric…" She took his arm and gently urged him to sit down again. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being too sensitive. I guess…" She frowned. "I just feel like…" She shook her head. "Like Queen Delora is getting all your attention now, and…"

He stared at her for a few moments before sighing. "Sofia, I know it may seem that way, and I apologize if it does, but I'm just trying to be kind to her. She's allowed us to stay here in her kingdom—her castle—as guests, even after having just lost her husband."

"I know that… I'd just…like to be included in the garden walks and the sunrise meals… I feel like I'm being left out, and…" She sighed. "It almost feels like you prefer her over me."

Cedric raised an eyebrow upon hearing that. "_Now_ who's jumping to conclusions?"

Sofia exhaled slowly before offering him a sincere smile. "I know. I'll try to do better."

He chuckled before reaching out and gently cupping her cheek. "You'll see. She's not so bad. And no one can replace you, Sofia."

Before she could respond, Queen Delora entered the dining room and beamed upon seeing the two friends. "Oh, _there_ you are! I was wondering what happened to you." She smiled especially at Cedric. "Are you still up for the full kingdom tour today? Halford already has a coach ready for us."

Sofia's face fell as she shuffled away from Cedric and began pushing her food around on her plate.

"Certainly, Your Majesty," the sorcerer responded kindly. "Could Sofia join us?"

"Well…" She shrugged before folding her arms. "The coach doesn't exactly have that much room in it… And I didn't think she'd want to go anyway."

Sofia dropped her silverware onto her plate, causing it to clatter loudly (and Cedric to jump a bit since she'd startled him). "You're right, Queen Delora," she said with clear disdain in her words as she stood up. The smile she offered the older woman was very dry and contrived. She didn't want to come across as such a negative person, but she was being pushed to her limits (whether the queen took notice or not). "I've got…a lot of paperwork to finish before we head back to Enchancia…" She looked at Cedric with a hard stare, causing him to shrink back into his chair. "In the morning…"

"So soon?" Queen Delora asked obliviously, missing the visual exchange between the two friends. "I thought you'd be here for a week or so… At least, that's what I was told."

"Yes, well, things change, and we have a lot of matters to handle when we get back home." She kept her gaze on Cedric, who'd yet to look away from her. "I just hope Cedric doesn't _forget_ that… And that he keeps in mind what's really important." Without anything else to say, she left the room in silence, leaving them behind.

"Is she always this moody?" Queen Delora wondered as Cedric finally turned to her.

He laughed uneasily, wringing his hands. "Only recently…" He cleared his throat as he stood up. "And I do apologize on her behalf, Queen Delora. Sofia is a very kind person, and I'm sure she doesn't mean to come across as anything other than that. It's just… We've had a very busy summer, and she's anxious to get home to her family."

"And what about your family?" She smiled. "Do you, like Sofia, have someone waiting on you to return?"

He nodded. "Yes, of course. My sister and niece, not to mention my—well…" He wondered how to even begin explaining Nana's situation, so he settled for, "Actually, Sofia and I are both guardians to a little girl from…a distant…village." He rubbed his hand along his arm. "She, uh… She lost her…family…so, we happened to come across her and…we bonded with her so well that we…sort of adopted her. Granted, the whole castle has had a hand in raising our little one, but she's definitely closest with us."

"And you didn't bring her with you on the trip?" She then made a noise of realization. "Well, yeah, that might be difficult, especially if she's really young. But you didn't tell me about all this yesterday." She smiled. "It's good to know that there are still kind-hearted people out there who are willing to be the shining light in others' lives."

Cedric smiled softly. "I appreciate that, Your Majesty."

She nodded. "Well, then, let's get going. If you really are leaving tomorrow morning, we've got a lot of ground to cover today!"

Before long, they had left the castle.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Sofia slammed the door to her room and walked over to her bed, climbing onto it and grabbing one of her pillows, curling against it with a heavy sigh. She'd had enough. Being left at the castle to take her best friend and tour her precious gardens was one thing. Oh, and let's not forget the exclusive sunrise breakfast that she was not privy to. But now, the kingdom tour, which the queen had all but insinuated that she was not invited to go on, was the final straw.

Sofia could handle a lot of pressure at this point. She'd been on countless missions, rescued people, managed diplomatic situations, and even nearly _died_… But this queen was about to make her snap. And it wasn't so much that she preferred to get the attention the queen gave Cedric; instead, it was more that she wanted to at least be able to do everything _with_ him, like they always did. Every other kingdom and ruler understood that. Cedric and Sofia were a package deal: the Magical Ambassadors. They did _everything _together. And now this queen was messing up that flow, and if she kept pressing, she ran the risk of ruining one of the most endearing and remarkable friendships known to most.

To go from a shy, uncertain, downtrodden princess seeking stability and clarity, and a sullen, angry, reclusive sorcerer out for revenge and recognition, to a princess who was revered for her kindness and courage as well as her accolades, and sorcerer whose name was heralded across the magical world for his magical feats and bravery? _That_ was truly something spectacular. And what everyone who'd come in contact with them realized instantly was that they were better _together_. They brought out the best in each other.

And now, Queen Delora was coming between them, whether she realized it or not. Pushing Sofia away just to highlight Cedric was inconsiderate in the princess's eyes, but what she was more upset about was that Cedric didn't even seem to be interested in correcting the situation. Maybe she was misreading everything, but what if she wasn't?

What if the Magical Ambassadors were separating? Growing distant? Departing? After all these years…

Sofia sat up, an irritated expression on her face as she curled her hands into fists around the fabric of the pillow. "I won't let her come between us," she mumbled to herself. "He's _my_ best friend. He's _my_ partner. And…" She sighed, too drained to seethe over the situation anymore. "The sooner we go home, the better."

* * *

Cedric and Queen Delora returned to the castle just in time for supper. It was clear by the laughter they shared that they'd had a good time.

"I wasn't expecting a kingdom tour to be so entertaining, to be perfectly honest," Cedric admitted with a smile as they walked upstairs. "However, I must say, the activities you have here are very interesting."

"Thank you, Cedric." The queen smiled as she saw someone approaching them. "Oh, Abigail! I was hoping we'd see you." She gestured between Cedric and the girl who'd just approached. "Abigail, this is Cedric the Great from Enchancia. He's the royal sorcerer. Cedric, this is Abigail, my royal witch."

Abigail was sixteen years old. She had a slender build, caramel-colored skin, brown eyes, and long curly/wavy brown hair that seemed to have a mind of its own. At first glance, it appeared that she was probably a few inches taller than Sofia. She wore a floor-length dress with a black long-sleeved top and a black skirt that was coated in white moons, stars, and skulls. Around her neck was a black chain necklace with purple and magenta stones dangling from it. Her nails were also painted black to match the rest of her ensemble.

"A royal witch is rare," Cedric acknowledged, nodding toward the other magic wielder. "Especially one so young."

Abigail just grinned and placed her hands on her hips. "What can I say?" she asked, her accent similar to Gabriella's, though her voice was a bit higher. "I learn quickly. Queen Delora invited me to court to train under the previous royal witch, Valencia, until she retired. Since then, I've been here on my own."

"And doing a fantastic job," the queen gushed happily, causing the witch to laugh. "Abbi, we're about to eat supper, and you're more than welcome to join us. You'll be able to meet Princess Sofia." She frowned thoughtfully as she glanced toward the sorcerer next to her. "If she chooses to eat tonight, that is… She seems to have…little appetite while here."

Cedric flinched a bit at the queen's words, especially since he could tell that she seemed somewhat personally affronted that his partner wasn't taking her up on her offer to eat. "I'll…talk with her, Your Majesty. I'm sure she's really just tired, and she misses home. Not to mention our little Nana."

Abigail blinked before tilting her head. "Is that your daughter?"

The sorcerer smiled and shrugged. "Something like that…" He gestured toward the hallway as the queen giggled and the royal witch frowned in confusion. "It's a rather long story. I'll just… Let me go get Sofia." He turned and headed down the hallway toward his friend's room.

The witch laughed before folding her arms and glancing toward the queen. "He seems pretty cool. What's the princess like?"

Queen Delora shrugged, clasping her hands in front of her. "I wouldn't know. I've spent more time with her sorcerer than with her." She hummed thoughtfully. "I just…felt more comfortable around him than her, though. I don't think she likes me very much."

Abigail shook her head, smiling. "You always think that, Dela. It would help if you had more female friends, you know. Besides me. Then you might know how to act around them."

"I just…" She sighed, folding her arms, mirroring her friend. "I don't know, Abbi. Ever since Diggory's death, I think I've just been looking for that one person who I could talk to and have a connection with again—not even a romantic one, because I certainly don't want to invest myself in that again. But…" She shrugged. "Cedric is a nice person. He listened to me talk and didn't interrupt. He just seems genuine, like someone I'd really like to have as a friend. I don't think his princess would like that very much though…"

"Is she jealous that you two might become friends or something?" Abigail wondered.

"It's hard to say… I haven't exactly been able to spend much time around her." She frowned. "Now that I think about it, I was sort of…inconsiderate this morning. Cedric asked if Sofia could go with us to tour the kingdom, and I told him that there was limited space in the coach—which was true. But to be honest, I'd rather travel with him than with the princess. She's been somewhat unapproachable since she got here."

"Hmm. But you haven't really given her much of a chance, is what it sounds like." The witch smiled encouragingly toward the queen, who blinked at her. "Maybe what you two need to do is start over. You have a habit of overreacting, but you also sometimes tend to cling to one person while excluding others. I should know." She smirked. "You did the same thing to me when I first got here, where you showed clear preference for Valencia over me, until you got to know me better."

The queen nodded with a small groan. "You're right. I do that, don't I?" She smiled sheepishly. "Maybe I _should_ start over with her then. I don't want any bad blood between our kingdom and theirs. And maybe Sofia isn't so cold and standoffish like I think she is. Maybe she's the nicest person in the world."

* * *

Cedric had barely knocked on Sofia's door when it opened just enough for a hand to reach out through the opening, grab his arm, and pull him inside. He blinked in surprise at Sofia, who had a rather piercing expression on her face as she released him and folded her arms. "Sofia, are you all right?"

"I want to go home," she responded, avoiding his concerned question. If he had any perception at all, he'd be able to tell that she was, indeed, _not _all right.

He remembered her having said such a thing during breakfast time, and he'd mentally noted that he needed to talk to her about that. It would look really bad if they just up and left for no good reason. "I know you do, my dear, but—"

"No, Cedric." She put her hands on her hips, staring up at him with an intensity he hadn't seen in quite some time. "I want to go home as soon as possible. Like I said this morning, we're going home tomorrow, because I know it's too late to travel tonight." She turned and began walking to her bed, reaching out to an already half-packed suitcase.

Cedric frowned, folding his arms. "No."

The princess paused in her activity before turning and giving her partner a rather dangerous glare. "_Excuse_ me?"

"Sofia, you need to think more rationally." He could tell that she was angry, and he wasn't entirely sure why, but she had no right to act like this. They were on a royal mission, just like every year, and despite whatever personal feelings or issues she had, they were obligated to complete their task. "Your father entrusted us several years ago with our Magical Ambassador quest. We've completed each of them every year since, despite any setbacks…especially after the first year." He saw her narrow her eyes at him after mentioning _that_ incident, but he just kept his gaze on her as he continued. "This is part of our job. I know you seem to have some form of dislike for the queen, but you can't let your personal feelings get in the way of our mission."

"Oh, really? She let _her_ personal preference for _you_ set us back in this 'quest' of ours." She gestured between them. "I've been stuck in this stupid castle for the last two days while you've been able to travel around and see her precious kingdom. You've barely been able to even communicate with me because you're always being whisked away by Queen Delinquent."

"It's Delora."

"Whatever." She turned again, continuing to toss her clothes into the suitcase. "I just don't see how staying here is going to benefit us at all. Not you, not me, and not Enchancia." She snapped the suitcase shut before looking back at him. "We're leaving in the morning."

"Sofia—"

"I hate to do this, Cedric, but that's an order…from your princess." She frowned as his face fell a bit and he did something he hadn't done in years: he reluctantly sighed, closed his eyes, and bowed to her. Her eyes widened slightly before she composed herself just in time for him to straighten up again.

"Yes… _Princess_ Sofia." He turned and left her room, pulling the door shut behind him.

And…the barrier was back. He only called her by her title these days if he was referencing her to someone else. He never called her that in private, or even when they were around others. It was always just "Sofia." Clearly, she'd struck a chord with him, and he probably felt as though he were walking on eggshells around her, so she wanted to set things straight. But…

"I'll handle that later," she mumbled to herself as she placed the suitcase on the floor next to the bed. "The sooner we get out of here, the better. And sure, maybe we won't establish ties with Dokken, but we already have so many others…" She leaned against the bedpost, loosely holding it as she sighed heavily.

They'd yet to fail at establishing ties with any other kingdom they'd been to. Everyone was always so cooperative and excited to work with them. Most of it was due to the undeniable bond and enthusiasm from the two best friends. But this time… Things were different.

She shook her head, closing her eyes. "You… You can't win them all, right?" She released the post and climbed onto her bed, crawling over to lean up against her pillows. Experiencing a hollow feeling in her stomach, she understood instantly that she was hungry. In fact, Cedric had probably come to get her for supper, she realized. Well, she'd messed that up. It wouldn't be the first time she'd missed an actual meal with others in this castle. Even during lunch today, she'd eaten on her own, but it had been a spectacular meal (courtesy of Halford, whom she revered as the most considerate person in this kingdom so far).

Sofia picked up her wand from her bedside table and halfheartedly waved it, producing a small tray with a plate of food and a goblet of water. She placed the wand down beside her and sighed, feeling a tear work its way down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Cedric…" She frowned determinedly, wiping the tear away and sniffling a bit. "But I'm not letting up on this one…" Without another word or thought, she began to eat alone…again.

...

* * *

Queen Delora and Abigail had already been served and were starting to eat when Cedric walked into the upper dining room, sitting next to the royal witch. He seemed a bit uneasy, they could tell, though they weren't really sure what had caused it.

"Where's Princess Sofia?" Queen Delora asked, genuinely confused. She'd actually been looking forward to seeing the other royal, and she'd really hoped to try to start over with her.

"She's…not feeling well," Cedric lied. It was easier than saying, 'She wants to leave tomorrow, because she really doesn't like you and would prefer to end our obligated mission early than be in your presence even one more day.' Yeah, that might be a bit too much… "I do apologize, Queen Delora."

"Oh, it's not your fault, Cedric." She smiled. "If she's not feeling well, I'd rather she stay in her room and get some rest. I wouldn't force her to eat with us. I can send Halford in with some food though, if you'd like."

"You can try, but I have a feeling she might already be in for the evening…" He wasn't even sure if she'd think to conjure herself some food. He really wanted to just go, grab her, and drag her to sit with them and eat at this point. She was being far too difficult. But he knew if he did, he ran the risk of angering her further and quite possibly driving a bigger wedge between them. Obviously, he didn't want that. He just wanted his princess back to normal. And if that meant leaving Dokken on uncertain terms, despite his uneasiness about it…so be it. "Also… Something has come up back in Enchancia, which is why we _will_ still be leaving tomorrow morning." He looked toward the queen with an apologetic stare, frowning as she averted her eyes and nodded. "I'm truly sorry, Queen Delora. Please don't think negatively of us or of Enchancia."

"Of course not, Cedric." She chuckled warmly before smiling gently at him. "We'll just…maybe try again next year? Perhaps things will be better then, for _all_ of us…" She sighed. "I suppose this was a bad time, after all, especially after losing Diggory so suddenly. It's been a lot on me, and I know the strain of this quest has probably been hard on both of you."

Abigail nodded. "And it must have been really hard on the princess if she's sick over it."

Cedric bit his lip to keep from responding to that inquiry. Oh, she was sick, all right… Sick of the queen. Sick of being away from their family and friends. Sick of… Well, he wasn't entirely sure of _everything_ she was tired of dealing with, but he had a feeling that _he_ might be at the top of her list right now (for some reason). "I… I do greatly appreciate your patience with us, Your Majesty. And you as well, Abigail. I promise that I'm going to do everything in my power to establish our ties next year. Maybe things will be better for both of us."

Queen Delora nodded. "Maybe."

* * *

The next morning, Sofia cleaned up and dressed quickly before braiding her hair. Today, she'd opted for a simple lavender robe dress, which was a looser and more flowing material than she normally wore. It ended just below her knees. She also wore matching boots and light pink tights beneath the dress.

She looked around at her luggage and sighed, realizing she'd need help getting it into the AutoCoach. She blinked when she heard a knock on her door, so she walked over to answer it. Seeing Cedric standing there, she sighed. "Cedric."

"The least we can do is eat breakfast with the queen before we leave," he told her simply, a somewhat defeated tone to his voice.

Sofia hesitantly nodded as she exited her room and closed the door behind her. As she walked with him to the dining room, her stomach felt like it was in knots. She felt bad for Cedric being so melancholy, and she also was starting to feel bad about her reaction to the queen. But what was done was done now, and there was no turning back.

So, they reached the dining room and ate in relative tense silence with Queen Delora, who tried to make some form of conversation, only receiving responses from Cedric for the most part. Sofia would offer a 'hmm' or 'oh' here and there, but in general she kept her eyes downcast and her focus on the food.

After a few terse goodbyes and loading up the AutoCoach, Cedric and Sofia headed off into the air.

Abigail walked up next to Queen Delora, who appeared to be rather unhappy. "Dela?" She placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Look, don't even worry about it. Maybe the princess is just sick and needs to go home. Or maybe she's actually really difficult to handle, and Cedric getting her out of here was for everyone's benefit. Maybe he was doing you a favor." She laughed.

Queen Delora shook her head. "You don't understand, Abbi. I've heard about Princess Sofia before: many times, as a matter of fact. They say she's one of the nicest, bravest, and most loyal people you could ever meet. She's faced great danger and come out victorious each time. So…" She sighed. "I honestly don't know. I guess I handled everything pretty badly."

"You live and learn though, right? There's always next year." She smiled and winked at the queen as she turned to her. "Come on. Let's get inside."

The older woman nodded before turning and following the witch back into the castle.

* * *

Cedric noticed that even though they were now several miles away from Dokken, Sofia didn't look any happier. In fact, she looked downright miserable as she gazed out the window of the AutoCoach. He frowned as he folded his arms and leaned on the panel next to him.

This had all gone horribly wrong. And Sofia was in the wrong, and he knew that. She should know by now not to take things personally when they were dealing with royal business, but somehow, she did. And here they were.

Sofia turned away from the window and noticed Cedric's posture, not to mention the fact that he appeared to be frowning at her. She inwardly grimaced, hating having that look aimed at her, but outwardly she gave it right back. "What?"

"You know precisely 'what,' Sofia."

She scoffed. "Oh, we're back to just 'Sofia' now. See, after yesterday, I thought you were going to just regress us back to the beginning when you just saw me as a nuisance."

"To be perfectly fair, my dear girl, you are acting like a 'nuisance' right now." Without giving her a chance to respond, he continued, "You had no right to be so snippy with Queen Delora." He narrowed his eyes at her as she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "See, there! Right there. What is your problem, Sofia?"

"_She's_ my problem!" Sofia finally admitted, her body tense and her hands gripping the seat. "Cedric, don't play dumb. You saw what she was doing. She favored you and catered to you while leaving me out of everything. But we're supposed to be friends—partners—and work together to do this whole Magical Ambassador thing. I felt so useless and neglected being tossed aside just so she could spend more time with you."

Cedric shook his head. "Sofia, that's absurd."

"It's not, Cedric! I saw it with my own eyes!" She gestured vaguely. "She took _you_ to the gardens. She ate during the sunrise with _you_. She took _you_ around the kingdom. She spoke to _you_ about her troubles and her situation. She hardly said anything to _me_."

"She wanted to," he retaliated. "But you didn't even give her a chance. You were so busy being jealous—"

"Jealous?!"

"—That you couldn't—"

"No!" Sofia shook her head, stopping to glare at him. "No… I wasn't jealous, Cedric. I was… I was upset that she didn't treat us like equals… I wanted to establish ties with Dokken as much as you did. We haven't had a single kingdom that we've failed to connect with until now. But I just can't…"

Cedric hummed thoughtfully. "I can't believe you're so upset about this… She's not as bad as you think she is, Sofia. She just might not know how to talk to certain people. Perhaps I remind her of the former king, and maybe it made things easier for her to speak with me instead of you. The death of her husband was very hard on her, and I'm quite certain this discontent between the two of you didn't help things."

"Oh, so this is _my _fault…" She huffed, leaning against the seat. "I can't believe you're taking _her_ side…"

"I'm not taking sides, my dear. I'm just stating facts… She's trying to move on from King Diggory's death and live her life as best as she can—"

"Yeah, well, considering he passed away so recently, it might be too soon for her to 'move on.'" She locked eyes with him. "I just don't like the idea of her coming between us like she did. We always said no one would _ever_ do that again, and yet you just let it happen."

"Sofia…"

"Cedric, just… Just leave me alone." She turned toward the corner of the AutoCoach and leaned her head up against the wall.

Cedric sighed heavily as he ran his hands through his hair. Sofia was being irrational and was obviously worried for no reason, but how could he make _her_ see that? He had a feeling that all the stress from traveling, from being away from Nana, from being away from Amber while she was pregnant, and just everything else was probably getting to her. And Queen Delora had received some of the frustration, though he'd just gotten the brunt of it. He was trying not to take it personally, but it was difficult to just let those accusations roll off his shoulders. They were best friends. They were partners. They were…

Stopping?

The AutoCoach jolted violently, tossing both riders onto the floor in a tangled heap. Sofia groaned in pain as she knocked her head against Cedric's as she sat up, aided in part by the sorcerer.

"What happened?" she asked, setting her annoyance aside for a minute as she looked at her friend's confused expression.

"I…don't know…" He withdrew a map from a spare compartment and gasped, his eyes widening. "I…didn't set the coordinates."

Sofia frowned. "What does _that_ mean?"

He stared at her, knowing he had to tell her the truth. "I…don't know where we are…"

"What?!"

The AutoCoach groaned and creaked loudly, and instead of hovering midair as it had been doing the last minute or two, it suddenly tilted, causing the friends to slam into the side of the coach and each other.

"Set them now, Cedric!" Sofia yelled, whimpering as she looked out the window and noticed nothing but water for miles below. "HURRY!"

Cedric withdrew his wand and muttered a spell, his breath catching as he realized something terrible. "My magic isn't working!" He looked toward Sofia. "Quickly, make a wish! Something that you _know_ will work!"

She grasped her amulet. "I wish to be small!" Nothing. Not even a glimmer. "Oh, no…" She screamed as the AutoCoach began falling from the sky.

Their magic wasn't working. They were lost. And now, nothing was stopping the AutoCoach's plummet to the huge expanse of water below.

To be continued…


	3. Plentiful Predicaments

Castaways

Summary: During an unfortunate mishap while conducting their annual duties as Magical Ambassadors, Cedric and Sofia find themselves stranded on an island with their magic somehow depleted. They have to work together to survive and stay collected, but that may be easier said than done. (Requested by Mr. Shortman92 – Last year. Lol. Sorry it took so long!)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. The other new OCs and kingdoms (specifically Dokken) belong to Mr. Shortman92.

A/N: So… Our Magical Ambassadors clearly are in for quite a new challenge. Let's see if they can get along any better though. *shrugs and zips lips* Haha.

* * *

Chapter 3: Plentiful Predicaments

* * *

Sofia, despite her frustration with her friend recently, knew that this could very well be it. They were falling from such a high position in the sky and cascading down to the water beneath them. No magic could save them: they didn't even have any for some reason now. So, she did what any terrified person fearing the probability of death would: she clung to her best friend with all her might, burying her face into his robe as she felt his hold tighten on her and his head resting against her shoulder, his voice whispering unintelligible words of comfort just as the AutoCoach slammed hard into the water.

The impact was so strong that it sent the coach plunging several feet deep beneath the ocean, the action creating a rather strong current swirling around them. Water was beginning to seep in from beneath the door and through a few other areas, including the windows, which had been previously assumed sealed shut.

They were submerged in several inches of water already, up to their waists at least, when their luck changed. A massive wave tumbled over itself, the force so strong that it carried the AutoCoach along until it finally reached the shore.

Cedric released Sofia before using all his force to push the door open, thankfully successful as all the water rushed out. He stepped into the water, grimacing at the cold and squishy feel of the sand, before he reached out to Sofia and carefully pulled her into his arms, half-carrying her onto the drier sand.

Sofia tried to wring out her robe dress, only to find that it was pretty much soaked at that point. She sighed and moved to her hair instead, wringing the water out of her braid before tossing it behind her, wincing as she felt her much heavier hair hit against her legs.

Cedric was also trying to wring out his robe and other clothing, but he realized how utterly futile it was. He withdrew his wand from his robe and said, "_Vestes excoquatur_." He frowned, realizing that his drying spell hadn't worked. In fact, the wand still wasn't working at all. He glanced toward Sofia, who appeared to be shivering a bit. Sighing at her state, he decided to try to take her mind off it for the moment. "See if any of your magical items work."

She nodded, pulling out her wand. She tried the same spell, both aggravated yet unsurprised when it didn't work. She then lifted her Enchantlet to call Chrysta, but it wasn't working either. Yet again, she attempted to wish several things of her amulet, but it didn't respond to her queries. Her GuardoRing, ES Bracelet, and BerryBand wouldn't work anyway unless they were needed, so at that particular point in time, all of her magical items were completely useless. "Nothing."

The sorcerer sheathed his wand before folding his arms. "Indeed…"

"I didn't even realize how much we relied on magic in our daily lives." Frowning, she sighed. "Now, without it, we may be in trouble…" She glanced up at him, a look of horror on her face. "What if…something happens to Nana? If she's in trouble, we won't know, because our BerryBands won't work here."

Cedric placed his hands on her shoulders, mentally noting how cold she felt beneath his touch. He'd have to fix that soon enough. "Don't worry, Sofia. I have complete confidence that your family, as well as Cordelia and Calista and anyone else in that castle, are taking good care of her." He offered her a small smile. "Besides, our little Strawbaby, as you call her, isn't completely defenseless. As I recall, she's managed to handle herself quite well in the past."

Sofia nodded slowly, her hands unconsciously raising to her amulet for comfort (as they did so often), but this time it was just a piece of jewelry she was clutching. "I know… It's just…this is the worst possible time this could happen."

"I'm aware." He lowered his hands and turned back toward the AutoCoach, frowning at its current state. He saw how dilapidated it was, with water beginning to coat not only the exterior, but also the interior as well. He also saw their luggage either floating on top of the water or stuck in the wet sand with the small waves lapping at it every now and then. "Help me out for a minute. Let's see if we can find any dry clothing in our luggage."

She rolled her eyes at his unusual optimism for a change, following him as he began to pull suitcases and trunks from the water. She helped, but with a bit more of a realistic approach this time. "You _really _think we're going to find dry clothes when they've been sitting in this water for this long?"

"We've got to try, Sofia."

* * *

They laid out all the suitcases and trunks they'd brought with them, and upon observation, they could easily tell that all the suitcases were soaked through. Rummaging through them one by one, they discovered that the clothing and other items inside were completely wet.

While Cedric peered into one trunk, Sofia looked through another. Cedric was able to locate a dry vest and pair of shorts. Everything else seemed to be at least damp at the moment. Sofia found a few blankets that were mostly dry, which she set aside onto the warm sand. After looking again, she found a pair of dry undergarments and a short nightgown that _clearly _wasn't going to fit her. It was about three sizes too small, which led her to realize that it must have been one of her old gowns from when she was younger. However, how it had even gotten in the trunk, she had no idea.

"Oh, yeah," she mumbled with an embarrassed groan, "_that's _going to fit." She tossed it back into the trunk before gasping as Cedric tapped her on the shoulder. "What?"

He offered her the spare vest he'd found, smiling at her obvious disappointment. "I know it's not much, but… It _is_ dry."

Sofia blinked before gingerly accepting the piece of clothing. "Thanks, Cedric…" She turned from him, smiling a bit, as she carefully laid his vest on top of the two blankets. She glanced back in the trunk once again and laughed victoriously as she located a small sealed waterproof bag. She pulled it out and withdrew a pair of dry purple pajama shorts and a matching short-sleeved pajama top. To her surprise, both were dry. She grinned toward Cedric, who blinked at her. "Looks like you can have your vest back, after all."

He chuckled a bit. "Lucky. We'll make do, I suppose. I do suggest that we get the rest of our garments hung up so that they can dry out."

She nodded in agreement. "Right."

They carried their dry articles of clothing and blankets more inland before working together to do as Cedric suggested. After hanging up all the drying clothing and other materials, they set their soaked suitcases and trunks near the edge of a drove of trees, all opened to speed the process up.

"We can't stay in our current clothing," Cedric reasoned as Sofia stood up from opening the last trunk and wiped her brow. "They're soaking wet, and the last thing we need is to catch a cold or worse, hypothermia."

She nodded before picking up her pajama set, and then she handed Cedric his shorts and vest. As he accepted his change of clothes, she frowned thoughtfully. "Don't islands usually get really cold at night?"

"We'll build a fire," he reasoned as he turned away from her and sat on the sand.

Sofia, taking his cue, turned and sat with her back to his. "Do you know how?"

"…Mostly. And if not, you were in the Buttercups, right?" He pulled off his shoes and stockings before discarding his robe. "I figure organizations like that teach skills such as fire building." He undid his bowtie and tossed that onto the growing pile next.

"Um, yeah… Yeah, I guess we'll figure it out either way…" She then exhaled slowly. "Okay, let's change, but don't turn around until I say so."

Cedric rolled his eyes as he tossed his gloves onto his already-formed pile of wet clothing. "Yes, Your Highness."

She frowned at his sarcastic quip but opted not to say anything as she began changing. At least this time, it sounded the tiniest bit less serious than it had back in Dokken.

Several minutes passed before both friends were finally in their current options for clothing. While Sofia usually opted for pajama pants instead of shorts, she did have a few spare pairs in case of hot summer nights. And in this case, it was _all_ she had available until their other clothing dried.

She stood from the sand and brushed the white particles from her clothing as she remained faced away from the sorcerer. The pajama top was clearly made of cotton, as the fabric breathed easily in the breezy island air. It wasn't button-up like several of her other tops. Instead, it was a simple purple shirt that landed just above the hem of her matching shorts. She shivered a bit as a small gust of wind went by, carried from the water, perhaps. She could already feel the goosebumps on her legs and arms. "Ugh…"

"Are you finished?" Cedric called as he also stood up.

"Oh, uh… Yeah."

"I am too." He frowned as he attempted to work with the stubborn maroon vest and his clearly mismatched pair of shorts. They were dark purple and had little gold stars scattered on the fabric. "Not one word when you see my ridiculous 'ensemble.'"

Sofia couldn't help giggling at his words. "All right. As long as you promise the same for me."

"Oh, believe me. Nothing could be as bad as mine…"

They turned nearly simultaneously, and Sofia couldn't help it. She wasn't laughing, but she did have to cover her mouth to hide her grin as Cedric stood there, his arms folded and a pout on his face. Just seeing that pathetic expression caused her to lose the battle with her will power, and she burst into laughter.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!" he complained, trying to once again tug at his vest, to no avail.

"Technically, I said I wouldn't _say_ anything," she argued back, smirking. "And I didn't say a word." She shrugged. "I guess it could be worse, right?"

He nodded reluctantly. "Yes, it could…" He caught her arm before she could walk toward the blankets. Seeing her somewhat startled features, he smiled gently at her. "Just a moment…" He reached behind her and gathered her braid into his hands before pulling the ribbon loose at the end. He placed the silken tie in his vest pocket before slowly and carefully undoing her braid, watching as her hair loosened to its full, wavy length. Seeing her confused expression, he gently ran his fingers through her hair and explained, "Your clothing got wet when we hit the water, but so did your hair. It needs to dry out too."

"O-Oh." She nodded. "Um, thanks, Cedric…"

Hearing those words was music to Cedric's ears. They finally seemed to be getting along again. He just hoped that would last. "You're welcome, Sofia. Come on." He wrapped one arm around her, seeing that she was still shivering a bit. "Let's tend to the fire and get you warmed up."

* * *

They had to scramble to find enough kindling from the grove of trees and just beyond in order to prepare to build a fire before it got too dark to see. They did manage to do so though, and finally, just between the line of trees and the AutoCoach disaster zone, they had a large pile of firewood (or something akin to it anyway).

Cedric had taken a few smooth rocks from the water and dried them off as best as he could before striking them against each other. The first few times, nothing happened, but before long, he finally began to catch some sparks. Eventually, the sparks were strong enough that they leapt onto the tinder and lit the homemade bonfire.

Sofia had taken her spot several feet away from the fire at first, because she didn't really want to get burned during his trial and error run. She had one of the mostly dry blankets wrapped around her to keep her body temperature up. She didn't get cold too often, especially in the summer, but when she did, she was somewhat miserable. She was relieved, then, when she realized that her friend had been successful in his quest.

The fire was an unexpectedly welcoming presence that evening. They were used to the seasonal heat during the summer, so the fact that the temperature had dropped so drastically had somewhat surprised the partners (even though they knew it would probably happen). The fire licked at the gathered kindling, snapping a couple of times as a few burning embers flicked out of the hearth and onto the sand around them.

The friends had been unusually quiet the last half hour, not even looking at each other. They had nothing to distract them except the crackling of the fire (other than each other, of course, but given that they didn't seem to be in the mood to talk, that wasn't exactly an option). Still, even the ocean waves crashing on the shore and the steady wind through the trees couldn't stifle the deafening silence that came with their current inability to communicate.

"…You did a good job on the fire."

Cedric turned and stared at his partner curiously before nodding. "Oh, uh… Thank you." Truth be told, he'd sort of gotten lucky with the flint he'd discovered, but he wasn't about to pass up a compliment from Sofia, especially since she'd been so upset with him mere hours ago. "I could have probably done a bit better if our magic was working, but…"

"Yeah, it's weird that it's not." Sofia stared at her numerous (and currently useless) trinkets and jewelry. With none of them possessing any magical abilities, they were all so much heavier on her fingers, her wrists, and her neck. She'd carried their weight for so long because of their capabilities. And now, those abilities were just…gone. "I wonder what happened."

"I've no idea…" He sighed, digging his toes into the sand. "I hate this blasted place. It's cold, it's empty, it could potentially be dangerous—"

Sofia sighed loudly, rolling her eyes as she noticed that she'd gotten his attention. "Hate to break it to you, Cedric, but we wouldn't even be in this mess if you'd set our coordinates like you were supposed to."

He frowned at her words. Oh, she wanted to play the blame game, eh? "I beg your pardon, Sofia, but it's really not my fault that I forgot to set the coordinates." He folded his arms, huffing slightly. "I might have remembered had you stopped accusing me of every blooming thing you could possibly think of for just five blasted seconds."

She smiled dangerously at him, causing him to pause and lean back a bit. "Is that how long it takes to ruin something now? Five seconds?" She groaned and grabbed a fistful of sand, tossing it into the fire and narrowing her eyes as she watched the flames flicker a bit. "We could have been on our way home to Nana by now… I could be in my bed. You could be in yours. But no…" She glared at him momentarily before looking away. "We're _here_…"

Cedric shook his head before saying, "Look, arguing like this and trying to determine whose fault this whole thing is will not solve anything. We're wasting potential valuable time. Instead, I believe we should focus on preparing a plan to be rescued."

She slowly looked back at him, a tired expression on her face. "…What did you have in mind?"

They pondered the use of smoke signals at first, but they soon realized that those would be impractical. They were stranded on an island, miles from anywhere or anyone as far as they could tell. And besides, they'd been due to be on their original journey for at least another two weeks, so no one from Enchancia would have any idea of their current predicament. Even if they didn't return after those designated weeks, any rescue mission to find them could likely take a lot longer before anyone began covering their secluded expanse of land. Neither could be sure since Cedric's coordination map wasn't working, due to it being as magical as all the other inoperable items, but it did appear that they were quite possibly very far off their original course. They didn't even recognize any of their surroundings. And was this island even inhabited? So many questions that they just couldn't seem to answer.

"This is ridiculous," Cedric grumbled. "Curse our time management… If we'd been on time instead of ahead of schedule for a change, we likely wouldn't be in this predicament…" He placed his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands as he rocked back and forth a bit.

Sofia watched, frowning in concern. "Cedric?"

"We're probably going to die here, you know," he muttered mostly to himself, though Sofia did hear him. "We'll die, and Nana will become an orphan without her guardians. They'll never find our bodies…" He shivered once.

"Cedric, what are you-?" She gasped as he stood to his feet, a completely dazed expression on his face. "What's the matter with you?"

Cedric disregarded her altogether as he mumbled distractedly, "All my fault… Should've set the coordinates…" With that, he shuffled away, heading straight into the woods beyond the grove of trees.

Sofia watched as he disappeared into the woods beyond their fire. He was clearly not all there at that point. He hadn't even acknowledged her. She wasn't really sure what had come over him, but given the circumstances, she decided to allow him some time to himself. Maybe he just needed to get away for a little bit to gather his thoughts. Maybe he'd come back soon and be more level-headed again.

She had no idea how wrong she was.

To be continued…


	4. Island Insanity

Castaways

Summary: During an unfortunate mishap while conducting their annual duties as Magical Ambassadors, Cedric and Sofia find themselves stranded on an island with their magic somehow depleted. They have to work together to survive and stay collected, but that may be easier said than done. (Requested by Mr. Shortman92 – Last year. Lol. Sorry it took so long!)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. The other new OCs and kingdoms (specifically Dokken) belong to Mr. Shortman92.

A/N: Cedric is about to become very Tom Hanks-ish in this chapter. I blame Mr. Shortman92, who again pitched this idea last year… Lol! Of course, this is all meant to be in good fun, so don't worry. Our goofball of a sorcerer will be okay…eventually. ;p

* * *

Chapter 4: Island Insanity

* * *

It had been quite a few hours since Cedric had taken off running, and Sofia was beginning to worry about him. During her partner's absence, she'd checked on the status of the clothing. Most were still a bit damp, but they weren't nearly as bad off as they had been. Realizing that Cedric had taken her hair ribbon, she knew she had to make do. She'd removed the tie from his own drying robe and used it to re-braid her now dry hair, weaving it through the braided locks and tying off the end with the familiar item.

The sun was getting close to setting, and the last thing she wanted was her friend to be lost in an unknown territory at night. While she was still a little miffed with him over everything that had transpired so far, she set all that aside for now.

She was honestly concerned for both of them, and that initial thought led her thoughts to Nana. If they were never able to go home, she knew just how devastated the little girl would be. She could even vividly recall the look on the strawberry girl's face when she originally believed they were going to leave her with Merlin. Thank goodness that had all changed so quickly. Nana had been one of the best additions to their lives.

Still, Sofia held hope that they would in fact get off the island. However, she knew that it would be a while before anyone even discovered that they were missing, so she hoped that they could figure something out before that happened.

The sound of a twig snapping and leaves rustling just beyond the fire dragged Sofia out of her thoughts rather quickly. She quickly grabbed a rock next to her, ready to use it to defend herself if necessary, but she dropped it instantly upon seeing a familiar face emerge from the trees. "Cedric?" She was ready to put everything behind her for now and rush up to hug the sorcerer; her relief was incredible at this point, because she was so glad that he was here and unharmed. But she didn't even manage to move very far when she finally realized just what the sorcerer was currently wearing.

He had a strange crown on his head that appeared to be made from colorful bird feathers; a cape made almost entirely out of leaves; handmade leis on his ankles, on his wrists, and around his neck; and an old and worn rugby ball situated under his arm. That last item made the princess do a double take.

"Cedric, where did you even find that?" She frowned curiously. "And…why did you draw a face on it?"

The rugby ball in question was a faded brown color, and its 'face' had clearly been created with red berries or some similar substance. The ball's 'facial expression' seemed to mimic Sofia's at the moment: perplexed.

"Oh, look at this, Jess!" Cedric gushed excitedly to the rugby ball, shaking it with enthusiasm. "We're finally not alone!" He laughed before glancing toward Sofia, his brown eyes somewhat hazy and glazed over as he stared at his partner with no sense of familiarity with her. "After all these years, we have a guest at last. Can you believe it?"

Sofia blinked a few times before folding her arms. "Okay… Cedric, we've only been here a few hours. What are you talking about?" She then let her eyes trail toward the rugby ball, a feeling of uneasiness washing over her as she stared probably a little too long at its strange 'expression.' "And seriously, what's with the ball?"

"Hmm, it appears to be trying to communicate with us," the sorcerer murmured as he walked closer to the fire, his eyes roving over the princess with a sense of curiosity.

She balked at his choice of words. "_It_?"

Cedric pointed toward his chest and then began speaking slowly (as if he were talking to a young child), "I…am…Cedric. What…is…your…name?" He then gestured toward Sofia, smiling patiently as he awaited her response.

Sofia sighed in exasperation and raked one hand down her face. "Great… He's lost his mind. Can this possibly get any worse?!"

"Hm. I don't think it understands me." Cedric glanced back at 'Jess' and whispered loudly enough for the princess to overhear him, "I believe it must be one of those rare Sea Squirrels." He then lit up with interest, approaching the girl as she stood up from her spot and eyed him cautiously. He circled her, looking at her from various angles, much to her confusion and discomfort. This was all so weird! "You know, Jess, I want to say that this Sea Squirrel is probably a female." He reached out and tried to touch her face, only to have his hand slapped away. He whimpered in response, shaking his hand as he turned back to the rugby ball. "Too bad we can't communicate with her. Everyone knows that Sea Squirrels don't speak our language. Granted, I know a bit of Land Squirrel myself, but I'm quite sure the dialect is different."

"…What?" To say she was baffled by her friend's actions and commentary would be a gross understatement. She also didn't like how he was clinging to that stupid rugby ball for dear life. Frustrated, she reached forward and grabbed 'Jess,' yanking the ball out of her partner's grasp and tossing it toward the water.

Cedric yelped at the princess's actions and immediately took off, nearly stubbing his bare toes in the sand, before reaching into the water and carefully pulling the rugby ball back into his arms. "There, there, Jess. You're safe now."

Sofia watched all of this before becoming overwhelmed. She was suddenly anxious, scared, and so lonely. Even though Cedric was there_ physically_, he wasn't entirely there _mentally_ at the moment. He had no grasp of reality; he didn't even seem to recognize her, and that hurt her more deeply than she thought it would. She realized then just how hopeless she felt without being able to actually communicate with her friend. "This is awful," she mumbled to herself, sinking to her knees near the fire as she wiped a few stray tears away. "I'd rather us be arguing right now than _this_…"

Once 'Jess' had been attacked, Cedric had resolved himself to steer clear of Sofia—or 'the untamed beast,' as he now called her—for the time being. However, curiosity was a powerful thing, and the few times he'd summoned up the courage to slink closer to the princess and investigate her a bit, poking her on the shoulder or head, she'd slap his hands away. After it happening a few times, he rewarded her with a new nickname: Slappy.

* * *

A few days went by, and the friends were living somewhat separately. While Sofia kept to herself and tended the fire, not to mention trying to see to their belongings as best as she could, Cedric was always off in his own little world while still lugging his precious rugby ball everywhere. It became the 'new norm' in a way, though this situation was far from normal by any stretch of the imagination.

* * *

One day, Cedric was taking 'Jess' on a walk down the beach when he spotted Sofia doing something rather strange. She'd taken some vines and carried them down to the water, with clear intent of using them to haul the AutoCoach out of the water.

Sofia tied the vines as securely as she could around the broken-down vehicle, and once she was relatively sure of its security, she began trying to pull it out of the water on her own.

Cedric frowned, pondering, "Why would she even want to do such a thing? It's just a piece of junk at this point. It certainly did _me _no favors when I was marooned here all those years ago. Right, Jess?"

'Jess' clearly had no comment.

The sorcerer watched the princess in awe as she struggled, doing her best to move the AutoCoach. She seemed to be rather strong despite her small stature, and she even managed to move the entire remains of the AutoCoach forward a few feet. "Hmm. Nicely done, Slappy." His eyes widened as he noticed something decidedly malicious just in the distance. "Oh, no…"

A dorsal fin had popped out of the water and seemed to be closing in on the princess.

Sofia slipped on something just under the water and fell backwards into the ocean. She managed to maneuver around and open her eyes, just in time to see the largest shark she'd ever seen in her life zeroing in on her. What was strange, though, was that this shark appeared to be magical. Its color and length kept altering, from gray to black and from five feet to ten feet, respectively. But that was impossible, right? Magic didn't work here… Or maybe it just didn't work for the outsiders.

Regardless, she was terrified either way. Without her amulet's aid for her to communicate with animals, she was a sitting duck. She broke the surface, coughing and sputtering while trying to hurry back to the shore, but she wasn't getting anywhere fast. She was surprised, then, when Cedric hurriedly plowed past her, tossing the rugby ball into the sand (which she found ridiculous and entertaining at the same time, since he probably thought that thing was actually alive or something). He dived in front of her, punching the shark on its nose, smirking triumphantly as the sea creature made a sound of pain before swimming away (and seemingly having a magical malfunction at the same time, as it shrank from ten feet to two along the way).

The princess was astonished by Cedric's show of bravery. Granted, he'd saved her life before, but this one was even more impressive, given that he didn't even seem to remember who she was. Was saving her just a natural instinct, regardless of his state of mind?

"That's right, you cranky old dog fish!" Cedric taunted with a sneer, even though the shark had already disappeared. "Run—er, swim away!" He then lifted his hand, blinking as he glanced over it before forming it into a fist again. He smirked before turning to Sofia. "Taught that scoundrel a thing or two, eh? I guarantee that he won't be swimming around these waters again. Not unless he wants _another_ punch to the snout."

Sofia couldn't help smiling a bit at his confident proclamation, but she reached out and clasped his hands, causing him to freeze in surprise. "Thanks, Cedric. But please don't make punching sharks a habit. I'd rather you not lose a hand…" She made her point by gently squeezing his hands before turning back to the AutoCoach.

Cedric wasn't sure what to make of the 'Sea Squirrel's' actions. That motion with his hands had been very…human. He shrugged it off, assuming that she must have simply been saying 'thank you' in her own way. He watched as she yet again tried to move the coach, and this time he decided to lend her a hand. Though he had no clue what she intended to do with the thing, he was quite curious to find out, and so he aided her as best as he could.

Between the two of them _finally_ working together, they were able to fully pull the AutoCoach onto dry land for the first time in days. It looked to be in rather bad shape, and it wasn't even a certainty that it could ever fly again.

Sofia crawled into the AutoCoach through the already opened door and began removing debris that had managed to seep in the last few days. She tossed out seaweed, pieces of wood and fabric, and random bits that had likely come from the ocean itself.

Cedric seemed to make a connection as he watched her. "Are you planning to use this as a shelter?" He blinked as she glanced at him and nodded in response. Oh, so she _could_ understand him. That was good to know. "Well, it's all yours then. I don't need it. I already have my own shelter." He smiled kindly at her, causing her to tilt her head. "I hope it serves you better than it did me. Good luck, my friend!" He saluted her once before grabbing 'Jess' and hurrying back down the beach, pleased with himself since he knew that while the AutoCoach wouldn't be able to take _him_ home, it would at least be a home for that strange little Sea Squirrel… He smiled at first at that thought, but he also felt a bit sad, since he was starting to realize that he would likely never see his home or family again.

Meanwhile, Sofia was looking through the AutoCoach before coming across a large, soggy piece of paper. It was rolled up in the corner of one of the seats. She carefully unrolled it and gasped. "This is Cedric's map that he was using to show current locations… And to set our coordinates." While the magical artifact was usually always changing depending on their location at any given time, it appeared to be frozen at the exact moment their magic stopped working. Now, it was just an ordinary map.

Sofia peered over the parchment, her brows knitting together. "We are _way_ off course…" Enchancia was supposed to be west of Dokken, and they had veered southwest instead, and now they appeared to be on a series of islands that were literally called 'Nowhere.' She scoffed at the irony. "So you mean to tell me that we're literally stuck in the middle of Nowhere?" She sighed, pressing one hand to her forehead as she groaned. "Great. That's just…great."

To be continued…


	5. Reminiscent Response

Castaways

Summary: During an unfortunate mishap while conducting their annual duties as Magical Ambassadors, Cedric and Sofia find themselves stranded on an island with their magic somehow depleted. They have to work together to survive and stay collected, but that may be easier said than done. (Requested by Mr. Shortman92 – Last year. Lol. Sorry it took so long!)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. The other new OCs and kingdoms (specifically Dokken) belong to Mr. Shortman92.

A/N: So, yeah. Y'all probably already realized, but that little rugby ball was named Jess after (of course) Jess Harnell. Again, that was Mr. Shortman92's doing, and I think that's a great tribute to our sorcerer's VA. :D In this chapter, you'll see a bit more of a connection with our favorite duo, even though it's going to be strained at best due to Cedric's current condition. But don't you worry. Things will start taking a change in the next chapter! BTW, Shortman, I know the context of this chapter changed a bit from the original outline, but I think/hope you'll like the substitution anyway. ;) Lots of fluff in this chapter... So MJ2X! Fluff alert! lol

* * *

Chapter 5: Reminiscent Response

* * *

A week had gone by since the two friends were forced into this unwanted 'vacation,' and Sofia was growing weary and feeling rather hopeless, which was so unlike her. However, she couldn't really be blamed for her frame of mind. She was stuck on an island, unable to bathe properly for the last week (despite frequent dips in the ocean, though it clearly wasn't the same), and her only companion was now completely out of it and preferred to tote around a creepy rugby ball for company rather than communicate properly with _her_. In fact, the princess was beginning to suspect that the stupid ball might just be alive, given that she was almost sure she'd seen it move on its own at some point. Then again, perhaps the sun was just getting to her, causing her to hallucinate.

And although Cedric was literally with her (and had been for the last few hours now, observing her from his spot on a nearby boulder), she still felt very much alone. He wasn't _her_ Cedric right now, and for whatever reason, he still had a mental block against her. She wasn't able to talk to him. She couldn't get him to empathize with her. And the sad thing was… She couldn't blame him, not after the way that she'd treated him not only during their brief stay in Dokken, but also during the ride that was supposed to take them home. All she wanted now was to have everything back to normal between them, along with being reunited with Nana and the others. But…it didn't appear that would happen any time soon. The very thought brought tears to her eyes as she pulled her knees up to her chest and began to cry (something she'd done nearly daily since the AutoCoach had crashed in the appropriately named Nowhere).

Sofia gasped in surprise a few moments later when she felt an arm wrapping around her shoulders from her left side. She lifted her head and turned slowly, seeing Cedric smiling at her, and she also felt him beginning to rub her back in a soothing motion.

"There, there, Slappy," he said in a soft tone, his hand calmly patting her back. "You're not alone, my dear. It's all right." He was stunned as Sofia suddenly broke down, clinging to him tightly and sobbing into his vest. "You've…grown rather affectionate, I see…" He smiled as he carefully undid her braid, pulling his own robe drawstring from the woven locks and setting it aside for now. "I remember when you would slap me each time I tried to get this close." He chuckled warmly as he wrapped both arms around her, running his fingers through her loose hair.

The princess laughed softly, a watery sound due to her tears, as she replied, "That was different… You weren't offering a hug then. You just preferred to poke at me instead."

After a few moments, Cedric asked, "Why are you so sad anyway? Do you miss your family, perhaps?" He frowned as Sofia nodded up at him, and he then turned his gaze toward the water as the sun began to set. "I know how you feel. I had a family too once… I miss them dearly. My sister Cordelia, my niece Calista, my precious Sofia… And our little one, our Nana…" He closed his eyes as Sofia held him tighter. "What I wouldn't give to see their beautiful, smiling faces again…" He sighed as he slowed his motions, his fingers just barely caressing her hair now. "They've probably forgotten all about me since I've been gone for all these years."

Sofia couldn't believe what she was hearing. At first, she pondered the possibility of Cedric going through some sort of time warp, but then…why did he still look the same? Had he somehow convinced himself that he'd been living alone on the island for so many years? Did he now believe that he'd been alone when he'd crashed?

There was also the possibility that maybe he'd hit his head too hard. After all, he'd taken off into the woods not long after they'd gotten stuck on this island, and who knows what he'd experienced during those hours he'd been gone? Either way, it deeply pained the princess to see her friend so sad, and she wished he could understand her right now as she hugged him, tears starting to pour down her face again: this time, for _him_—for _his_ pain. "Cedric, I could never forget you. I love you… And we'll see Nana again. I promise you." She saw him glance toward her, and she thought for a split second that maybe he could understand her… "As soon as I figure out a way to get off this stupid island, we're going home."

"You're a very affectionate creature, aren't you?" Cedric murmured as he reached up and wiped her tears away. "And are these tears…for me?" Seeing her nod, he offered her a smile. "There's no need for that, my dear. Don't waste your tears on me…" He sighed as she curled up against him, burying her face into his vest as he continued stroking her hair. "Such pretty hair… Reminds me of…" He frowned, shaking his head. It couldn't be. This 'Sea Squirrel' might have been just as sweet and huggable as Sofia, but…she couldn't possibly _be_ Sofia. …Right? No… No, his Sofia was safe and sound in Enchancia. "Get some sleep, my dear."

They stayed that way for a while before eventually falling asleep in the sand together, just beneath a shimmering blanket of stars and the soft light of the waning moon.

The next morning, the two friends were awakened by the feeling of the tide starting to splash on their feet and legs.

Cedric groaned and sat up, stretching a bit before feeling his back crack. "Oh, wow… Sand does _not _make a good mattress…"

"Tell me about it," Sofia mumbled next to him, yawning into her hand before shaking her head. She blinked as her friend yelped a bit. "What?"

The sorcerer stared at her with wide eyes. "Slappy, did we actually get along well enough to comfort each other and fall asleep together?"

The princess smiled shyly before nodding. She didn't care for the ridiculous nickname, but she didn't mind the closeness they'd shared last night. It had felt good to get one of Cedric's hugs, to feel his hands playing with her hair, and to feel comforted in a way that only her best friend could provide. Granted, he still thought she was a 'Sea Squirrel,' but he'd treated her like he would Sofia…and she _was_ Sofia. She was hoping he'd connect the dots sooner rather than later.

"There's something…so familiar…about you…" Cedric slowly reached up to her face, trailing his hands over her forehead, her eyelids, down her nose, and across her cheeks. He threaded his hands into her hair again, feeling the soft locks curling around his fingers. He then glanced down and gingerly ran one finger along the chain around her neck before picking up the pink jewel of the Amulet of Avalor.

Sofia's breath caught in her throat. '_Please remember me, Cedric… Please…_' He was obviously sensing something familiar. Why else would he do what he'd just done? And if anything could jog his memory, it would be the Amulet of Avalor, right?

"Huh," Cedric said simply, his thumb tracing the smooth surface of the gem as he glanced up at her. "What a lovely jewel. My best friend, Sofia, has one just like this. It's called the Amulet of Avalor." He grinned at the princess before him, who seemed both stunned and disappointed for some reason. "Don't get me wrong: yours is nice. It's just not quite the same." He stood up, wiping the sand from his shorts and dusting his hands off as Sofia stood up as well. "All right! I'm going to go find Jess. I promised him a game of chess." He lit up as Sofia folded her arms. "Hey, that rhymed!" he laughed. "See you later, Slappy!" He waved energetically before hurrying off into the woods.

Sofia sighed, shaking her head. "He was so close…" She rubbed her arms and recalled the warmth and familiarity she'd felt as Cedric hugged her. It was like everything was back to normal for a while there, even as they slept and woke up near each other. "We've got to get off this island…"

Sofia wasn't aware of it yet, but the solution to their problem had been there the whole time. However, it would take another week before she'd discover just what that resolution was.

To be continued…


	6. Sensible

Castaways

Summary: During an unfortunate mishap while conducting their annual duties as Magical Ambassadors, Cedric and Sofia find themselves stranded on an island with their magic somehow depleted. They have to work together to survive and stay collected, but that may be easier said than done. (Requested by Mr. Shortman92 – Last year. Lol. Sorry it took so long!)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. The other new OCs and kingdoms (specifically Dokken) belong to Mr. Shortman92.

A/N: All righty! Let's get Cedric's brain back in working order, shall we? And maybe, just maybe, we'll figure out what Sofia didn't notice way back at the beginning of this island adventure. Did YOU notice it? 😉 (If not, don't feel bad. I didn't either when I was given the notes at first! Lol. Shortman and his eye for details… Anyway!)

Chapter 6: Sensible

Today marked the fourteenth day of being on the island in the literal middle of Nowhere.

It was late in the evening, and Cedric was wandering through the woods, once again trying to find Jess. The rugby ball had evaded him more often than usual, and the sorcerer was starting to wonder about its whereabouts. "Where did that little scoundrel roll off to now?"

As he was walking, he felt a sharp pain in his head, as though someone might have struck him. He fell to the ground, clutching the back of his head in pain. "Ow, who hit me?!" He gingerly rubbed the aching part of his head before seeing something roll up to him. "Jess!" he gasped. "How could you-?!" He paused, squinting at his attacker. A coconut. "Ohh…"

He stared at the innocent coconut for a few moments before panicking, standing to his feet and scanning his surroundings. "I knew this day would come… The coconuts are beginning to revolt!" Yet again, he paused, realizing just how ridiculous he sounded. "No, it probably just fell from one of the many nearby palm trees. You would think I'd know that by now, considering how long I've been here. I mean… Surely this can't be the _first_ time a coconut has fallen on my head." He rubbed the back of his head again, which was still in a great deal of pain, before glancing back at the coconut. "And yet, would I even remember something like that?"

Thunder echoed across the sky, causing Cedric to jump, startled. He decided to try to find Jess quickly, or else they'd get caught in the rain.

For nearly half an hour he searched, eventually finding himself on the beach near the 'home' Sofia had made from the AutoCoach. He could tell that she was already asleep, but he did want to see how she was before continuing to search for the rugby ball. After all, they'd established something of an acquaintanceship at this point. He found himself oddly drawn to the strange 'Sea Squirrel.'

He walked toward the open door of the AutoCoach and looked inside, gasping. Sofia was asleep, though she appeared to be shivering (which didn't surprise him, given that the strong winds and severe drop in temperature had already occurred). Rather than the usual toasty 85-degree days, that evening, the temperature had dropped to 70 degrees instead, which was rather cold when the wind and lack of sun were factored in.

Cedric felt awful for Sofia and wanted to help her, but he also didn't want to suffer a repeat of previous occasions when she'd slapped him for no good reason. However, before he could even consider the option of leaving, rain began to fall. It hit his face and arms, leading him to resigning to just stay with the sleeping princess.

"Well… It looks like I'll be staying here after all." He crawled into the AutoCoach next to Sofia before closing the door behind him. "I hope I won't regret this…"

The moment he laid eyes on the shivering girl's form, his entire outlook changed. Now all he wanted was to protect her and comfort her—a strangely defensive attitude to have toward someone he barely knew. Still, he gathered her into his arms, pulling her closer to him, which startled her a bit, as evidenced by her gasp. "Shh, it's just me, my dear," he whispered soothingly. "Get some rest." Without even thinking about it, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He then pondered his actions afterward, but a wave of dizziness overtook him (quite possibly a result from the recent blow to the head). Once the wave passed over, Cedric leaned back against the seat of the AutoCoach and finally fell asleep, Sofia still tucked into his arms.

The next morning, Sofia awoke and was a bit surprised to find that she was snuggled up next to Cedric. Granted, she was happy, because this was the first time in a while that she'd been able to be near her friend without his strange reactions. She enjoyed the moment while she could, sitting in the quiet and just listening to her friend breathe softly, but soon he began stirring, and she moved away from him so that she wouldn't startle him when he awoke.

Cedric groaned a bit before stretching and sighing. He opened his eyes and blinked as he glanced at his surroundings. It was clear by the look on his face that he was rather confused. He finally turned his attention to Sofia, who was watching him curiously. "Sofia?" he asked, frowning in concern. "What happened? And…why are we still in the AutoCoach?" He gasped in surprise as she suddenly threw her arms around his neck before sobbing into his chest. He slowly hugged her back, trying his best to calm her down as he rubbed her back. "Sofia, tell me what's going on, please…"

She pulled away from him and explained everything from the beginning to now: where they were, how they got there, and why she assumed that leaving wasn't going to be such an easy option for them.

After hearing her explanation, Cedric glanced around the AutoCoach again before smirking at the princess. "So, you mean to tell me that we've been stranded on this island for two whole weeks, and you _still_ haven't come up with a single plan to get off the island?"

A bit perturbed by his cheeky response, Sofia folded her arms and shook her head. She was starting to miss the more aloof Cedric a bit; at least _he _never went after her with those sarcastic quips. Still…

"Even though you were literally right on top of the solution the whole time?" Cedric chuckled upon seeing her confused expression. "The AutoCoach, Sofia… It's wooden. It will float."

Sofia sighed. "I hate to break it to you, Cedric, but this thing was submerged in over three feet of water before we hauled it onto the shore. It's not going to float."

He smiled thoughtfully. "Ah, but the door was open, was it not?" Seeing her nod, he continued, "That's why. Had the doors remained closed, the inside likely never would have filled with water. The impact with the water must have caused a little damage to the luggage compartment; otherwise, our clothes wouldn't have gotten wet. See, I wanted the AutoCoach to be useful, even in the worst of storms, so I made sure that it was waterproof. All we have to do is make sure that it still is, and then we use it as a raft, and—"

"You're suggesting that we, what?" She frowned. "_Paddle_ our way back to Enchancia? We might suffer exhaustion and dehydration before we even get there, Cedric!"

Cedric just laughed and smiled patiently as he grabbed her hand. "Dear girl, I think the sun has damaged your brain a bit." He noticed that she didn't seem to be amused by his comment, so he continued, "We lost our magic after flying a little too close to these islands, so I believe that there must be some sort of barrier around this place that interferes with one's magic. I'm suggesting that we paddle as far as we have to until our magic returns, and then we can fly the rest of the way." He released her hand and playfully tapped her nose, causing her to sputter. "You're welcome."

She rolled her eyes at his cheery quip. "I wouldn't act so smug if I were you. You've said and done some very embarrassing things since we got here. And if you keep that up, I'm just going to have to remind you of some of them."

"Oh, please," he scoffed. "It couldn't have been _that_ bad." Cedric began to exit the AutoCoach in order to set their plan into motion, but he released quite possibly the highest pitched shriek either of them had ever heard, and he stumbled backwards as he pointed toward the door. "W-What in Merlin's name is _that_?!"

Sofia looked over his shoulder before laughing. There, before them, was that ridiculous rugby ball that she was so sick and tired of seeing. Yet now, it was a source of entertainment for her… After all, Cedric—in his normal state—didn't know anything about it. "Cedric, meet Jess, your new best friend…and one of those embarrassing things I was telling you about earlier."

Cedric flinched at the sight of the ball. "It's a rugby ball with a face badly drawn on it!"

"Uh-huh. That's part of why it's embarrassing. You also actually talked to it and even played chess with it, from what I understood." She grinned and moved past Cedric, exiting the AutoCoach as he followed after her. "You were also convinced that I was some type of 'rare sea squirrel,' whatever that is supposed to be. And you kept calling me 'Slappy.' Oh, and another thing—"

Cedric huffed, "All right! I get it… I was apparently extremely loopy for a few weeks. Might we move on past this please?"

Sofia giggled, shrugging. "I guess so… Now, could you tell me about this plan of yours?" She folded her arms. "I'd like to get out of here and back to civilization—and bathwater—as quickly as possible."

The sorcerer hummed at her query before nodding. "Right. First of all, we'll need to find the wheels of the AutoCoach, as I noticed they'd come off. Trust me, we'll need those."

It took a while and certainly wasn't easy, but they did finally locate all four wheels.

Sofia frowned at their state. "They've seen better days… But I guess there's not much we can do about their condition right now." She glanced toward Cedric. "Why do we need these exactly?"

"Glad you asked," he remarked proudly as he pointed toward the corners of the AutoCoach. "The AutoCoach is a bit top-heavy, so it could easily tip over while we're in the water. We're going to tie these wheels horizontally to all four corners and help balance it out."

She appeared to be a bit skeptical. "Um, Cedric? Are you _sure _that's going to work?"

"No," he sighed, wringing his hands a bit. "I'm not." He eyed her carefully. "But we have to get off this island and fast. It would have been far more ideal to use some logs as pontoons, but we just don't have time, Sofia… We must get home before everyone starts to worry." He tapped his chin, pondering for a moment. "Hm. But I suppose we could tie some coconuts to the wheels for added buoyancy." He turned around to gather some coconuts, but he yelped when he noticed that Jess seemed to be sitting at the edge of one of the trees, 'smiling' at him.

Noticing his reaction, Sofia waved it off. "Oh, yeah. He does that. You get used to it."

Cedric gaped at her incredulously. "_How_?! _How_ do you get used to a rugby ball just moving on its own?"

She shrugged and giggled. "I don't know. When you're stranded on an island, let's face it: you've really got much bigger things to worry about. Sharks, for example…." She laughed. "By the way, you punched a shark in the nose last week."

"I did?" His eyes widened.

"You saved my life," she concluded, smiling sweetly toward him.

Noticing her grateful smile, he hastily returned it before frowning. He glanced down at his hand and whimpered before grasping it with his other hand. "I—I could have lost my hand."

"I know!" she affirmed. "That's what I said too!" She pointed toward the area where the coconuts were located again. "Now, are you going to get those coconuts? I'll start working on tying the wheels to the AutoCoach. Hurry."

Cedric watched her take off before doing so himself, busying himself with his task of coconut collecting in the woods.

After a few hours, the two friends finally finished their preparations and decided on a well-deserved break.

"Cedric, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry…for everything." She sighed. "We wouldn't even be stuck on this island if I hadn't jumped all over you the second that we left Dokken. I guess I was just frustrated and… Well…" She blushed a bit as she folded her arms. "I guess maybe even a little jealous."

"A _little_?" he teased, trying to lighten her mood. He smiled as it worked.

She rolled her eyes but returned the smile anyway. "Okay, maybe more than a 'little.' It's just, she was giving you so much attention, and you were giving it right back, and…I felt like I was being left behind. You're _my _partner… I guess I just wasn't prepared to experience that." She frowned thoughtfully before expressing her next thought, "I guess I never really thought about the fact that one day, you might want a _different_ kind of partner."

Cedric wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Is _that _what you were worried about? Sofia, I was just trying to be nice. I could tell that she was still rather upset about losing her husband, and she was just trying to cope with her loss in her own way. But you have nothing to worry about, I assure you." He smiled at her as she looked toward him. "Nothing will ever separate _us_. No place in heaven or on earth… Nothing. We're the Magical Ambassadors, right? Cedric and Sofia: we go together. We're a 'team,' as you always used to tell me." He smirked at her as she giggled. "I'm perfectly happy with my current partner. I've no interest in any other."

Sofia hugged him, sighing in content. "I love you, Cedric, and I'm so sorry for accusing you like that."

He smiled and returned her hug, gently rocking her, his motion as gentle and fluid as the water itself. "I love you too, Sofia."

To be continued…


	7. Homeward Bound

Castaways

Summary: During an unfortunate mishap while conducting their annual duties as Magical Ambassadors, Cedric and Sofia find themselves stranded on an island with their magic somehow depleted. They have to work together to survive and stay collected, but that may be easier said than done. (Requested by Mr. Shortman92 – Last year. Lol. Sorry it took so long!)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X. The other new OCs and kingdoms (specifically Dokken) belong to Mr. Shortman92.

A/N: Okay, despite the title, we have a plethora of things to wrap up before our duo can finally head home. Thanks to Cedric's clear thinking, they now have a way off the island. Of course, not everything always goes _smoothly_ for them… That's all I'm going to say on that. Haha. Plus, Sofia has a plan of her own prior to heading back to Enchancia. In any case, I hope you all enjoyed the story. Thanks to Mr. Shortman92 for outlining this last year and for having the patience to wait for it. :D The next story that will be up is "Daphne," and yes, that's one of the names that people voted on several weeks ago. 😉 I don't know when it'll be up, but we're just going to say "soon" for now. School starts back in session for me next week, and it's going to be very, _very_ busy. I will have no set writing schedule, and I may be slow responding to everyone, so apologies ahead of time. Till next time, everyone!

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Chapter 7: Homeward Bound

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After much careful planning and compacting all of their valuables into the two trunks (and burning the utterly ruined suitcases), Cedric and Sofia were able to load up the restored AutoCoach. In addition, Sofia had located some old oars while seeking out the wheels meant for the coach. She pondered where those oars had originally come from and if that meant there were others marooned on the island at some point, but given that they'd yet to see another soul within their vicinity, she chalked it up to general good luck and carried on from there.

"In a weird way," Sofia mumbled to Cedric as they stood at the shore, the water rushing over their bare feet, "I'll sort of miss this place."

"I won't," Cedric chuckled. "Can't miss something you don't remember." He then laughed nervously as she shot him a pointed look. "E-Except you, of course…"

She smiled and linked her arm with his as they turned and boarded the AutoCoach.

With some careful precision, the partners used their new/old oars to row themselves out to sea. While it was tiring, they were at least grateful that the water was calm. And even better? No sharks this time: magical or otherwise.

As the AutoCoach began to pass over a reef, it snagged on one of the corals before slamming hard into a large boulder. The impact caused Cedric's head to collide with the wall of the AutoCoach, which in essence knocked him out. To make matters worse, the impact also caused the floor to crack, allowing water to slowly fill the cabin.

"Cedric!" Sofia gasped, pulling him up onto the seat next to her as the water filled up to their ankles. The AutoCoach was sinking with them inside. At this point, they were at least a hundred feet from the shore, so swimming back just wasn't an option. The water at their current location was much deeper than the last time they'd begun sinking. As the princess looked at her partner's unconscious form, she frowned in concentration, knowing exactly what she had to do.

Taking the extra vines they'd stored in the coach (just in case the wheels came loose), Sofia quickly tied them together to make a long rope. She then tied one end around her waist before glancing at Cedric. She gently stroked his cheek, whispering, "I'm gonna get you out of here. Don't worry." Leaving him lying on the seat, she climbed out the open window of the AutoCoach, noting that the inside was already filled with probably a foot and a half of water from the cracked floorboards. "I've got to hurry," she told herself. "Once the water reaches the open window…" She frowned, shaking her head, not even wanting to consider the possibilities any further.

She tied the other end of the vine rope to the front of the AutoCoach and dived into the water, beginning to swim farther out to sea. No, she wasn't planning on pulling the AutoCoach—at least not without her magic. Instead, she was hoping beyond hope that she could make it to the barrier they'd first encountered, which had ceased all magical abilities, before the AutoCoach completely filled with water. If she could find that barrier and pass it, then she could use her magic to turn into something that _could _possibly pull it.

It was a risky and possibly tiring deed, but she had to do it. Their lives were both in danger at this point.

Not even two minutes later, the princess passed through the barrier, and immediately her amulet began glowing. She glanced down as she felt her legs sealing together, and she smiled in relief as she saw that they'd been replaced with the familiar tail of her mermaid form. However, before she could celebrate, she felt herself being tugged backwards under the water. Glancing back in panic, she noticed that the AutoCoach was now sinking.

"Cedric!" Her amulet ceased its glowing as the AutoCoach pulled her back through the barrier. She then realized that the only way she could cross the barrier again without removing her vines was to stay level with the AutoCoach. To do so, she swam down and away from the heavy contraption at the same time. Without her magic, she was literally fighting against time and lack of oxygen.

Just as she felt herself nearly black out, a burst of magic surrounded her, and her lungs filled with air as she swam through the barrier once more, her mermaid form restored. "I wish to be strong!" she called out to the amulet, which reacted immediately. She felt much stronger than she ever had in her life right then, and pulling the AutoCoach soon became a simple feat for her. She swam fast and broke the surface, far out of the grasp of the barrier, hoping beyond hope that she wasn't too late and that Cedric was all right.

Once she reached the surface, Sofia decided to try something entirely new, given the circumstances. She gripped her amulet. "I wish to have my wand." To her mild surprise, it worked, and her beloved wand was back in her hand. She grinned and kissed it excitedly before waving it toward the AutoCoach. "_Reparo_! _Aqua Depello_!" Within seconds, the water had been removed and the coach itself was fully restored to its former glory. She called out again, "_Volito!_" And now the coach was hovering above the water.

Thinking fast, she activated her Enchantlet, launching a lasso out to wrap around the handle and pull the door open. She climbed up the magical rope and sighed in relief as she sat just at the entrance to the AutoCoach, breathing heavily as her tail faded and her normal legs returned. She turned and glanced at Cedric lying on the seat, and she was instantly taken aback by how pale he looked. She was afraid he'd taken in too much water at this point, and the thought of him possibly _drowning _caused the color to drain from her face.

She hurried over to his side, shaking him, and becoming distraught when he wasn't waking up. "Cedric, come on…" She placed her ear against his chest, sighing in relief as she could barely hear his heart beating ever-so-faintly. However, she was worried that he didn't appear to be breathing.

She leaned down to him, one hand on his chest and the other wrapped around her amulet, as she pressed her forehead to his. She closed her eyes, tears springing to them, as she whispered, "Please… I wish to save him. Let him live…" A soft sob escaped her lips, the tears now falling onto her partner's face. "I can't lose him… I _need _him… _Please_…"

A warm flow of gradient pink and purple magic flowed from her amulet into her hands. She could feel it coursing through her veins and spreading from her fingertips and flowing into his body. Beneath her hand, she could feel his faint heartbeat become stronger, and she gasped as he suddenly sat up and coughed out water onto the AutoCoach floor.

"Ugh," he murmured, collapsing back against the seat as his eyes focused, landing on the worried face of his partner. He smiled tiredly and reached out to her, gently caressing her face. "Sofia? Did we make it?"

She laughed in relief, tears of joy streaking down her cheeks as she practically fell on top of him, hugging him closely. She was overjoyed to feel him weakly returning her hug; hopefully it would become stronger as he regained his bearings. "Oh, Cedric… I thought I was going to lose you!"

While his mind was fuzzy from the recent lack of oxygen, he could still piece a few things together. "What happened anyway? My head is killing me… The last thing I remembered was the AutoCoach hitting something, and then I woke up here." He stared up at her with wide eyes. "Did I _die_ or something?"

"No…" She smiled in utter relief as she stared down at him, her fingers loosely trailing through his hair as she took in everything that had happened. "I…"

He smiled warmly at her. "You saved me again, didn't you?"

She blushed modestly before sitting up and shrugging. "That's what we do, right? We… We save each other."

Cedric hummed in agreement before sitting up and taking her chin, kissing her cheek, and chuckling as she blushed a little more. "We do indeed, my dear." He then grasped her hand and placed a tender kiss to the back of it, smiling as she looked down bashfully. "Thank you for saving me…" As she nodded and smiled back toward him, he sighed before gently tucking some of her loosening hair behind her ear. "I think we've been through enough on this trip. What do you say to going home?"

"Actually," she began softly, glancing toward him as he blinked at her, "can we go back to Dokken first? …I think there's something I need to do."

He slowly smiled, wrapping one arm around her and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I already know your plan, and I must say, I'm very pleased with it."

She giggled. "Thanks, Cedric…"

They used their magic to completely reinstate the AutoCoach to its full glory, clean themselves up, restore their clothing, and set everything else back in its proper order. Once they were fully prepared, Cedric used the map that Sofia had located several days ago and set their coordinates for Dokken.

...

* * *

Being back in the kingdom was so surreal for the princess. The last time she was there, she'd left on bad terms with Queen Delora. But now, she was determined to set things straight.

She followed Halford down the hall as he guided her to the throne room. She gasped softly as she felt Cedric take her hand, an obvious sign of comfort. She smiled appreciatively toward him as they moved along.

"Your Majesty," Halford called in a pleasant manner, smiling as the fair-haired woman sat up straighter and nodded for him to continue, "I have a surprise for you."

The queen sighed, shaking her head. "I'm not sure how many more surprises I can handle today, Halford." She laughed softly. "But…if you must." She gasped softly as she saw the two Enchancians enter and bow respectfully toward her. "Cedric? Princess Sofia? Wha…?" She frowned in confusion as they straightened up, hands still clasped. "I thought you were on your way back to Enchancia…like…two weeks ago?"

"It's a long story," Cedric informed her, laughing.

"Queen Delora, may I speak with you for a minute please?" Sofia asked kindly, the first time she'd felt herself issuing this woman any form of compassion. The whole island experience had been rather humbling, to say the least. Having nearly lost Cedric? That was even worse. She knew now to take every day as a blessing rather than a curse (a lesson she always attributed to her amulet's powers), because she wasn't promised tomorrow. She held Cedric's hand a little tighter, sighing in relief as she felt his grip tighten the slightest bit as well.

"Oh, um… Sure." She stood up and descended the steps from her throne, gesturing toward the door that led to her gardens. "Let's take a walk."

Cedric nodded toward Sofia as she glanced at him. "Go ahead. I'll be here when you return." He chuckled as she hugged him affectionately, almost as if she didn't want to let him go. Given their recent experiences, he couldn't say he blamed her. He returned her hug, gingerly pressing a kiss to the crown of her head and whispering something to her as she nodded and glanced up at him.

Queen Delora watched their actions with a considerate smile. _Finally, _she understood why Sofia had been so aloof with her… It made far more sense now.

Sofia released Cedric and followed the queen outside as they entered the start of her prized gardens. She glanced around, taking in the beauty of her surroundings. Cedric was right. It _was_ amazing… She spotted the pot of hydrangeas he'd mentioned their last time there and smiled.

"I think I owe you an apology."

The princess blinked, surprised by the other royal's admission. "I'm…sorry?"

Queen Delora stopped next to a bench and gestured for Sofia to sit. When she did, the blonde followed suit. "I am so sorry for the way I treated our visit when you were here. I spent so much time getting to know Cedric that I didn't see how far I was pushing _you_ away. And as our guest, that's not the least bit fair…" She lowered her hands to her lap, her fingers tracing the glittering wedding ring on her left hand.

Sofia watched in silence as the woman continued talking.

"Losing Diggory was hard on me. We grew up together, getting to know each other as we were promised to be wed. I know it seems outdated and old fashioned to some kingdoms, but I was surprisingly okay with it…" She looked toward Sofia. "This is actually _my_ kingdom. My husband and I ruled it together after his own homeland was destroyed. We raised our daughter here, but she's now married to a wonderful young man named Hugo and lives with him in his kingdom, and I just received word today that they're expecting their first child." She smiled as Sofia gasped. "I'll be a grandmother soon…"

"Hugo?" She laughed. "Wait, is your daughter named Delilah?" Seeing her nod, the princess smiled. "My sister Amber told me that he'd married a girl named Delilah a while ago. I had no idea that was your daughter."

"So, you know Hugo then?"

She nodded. "We went to Royal Prep together when we were kids. He's a good person, and I'm happy for them, and now for _you_." She then shrugged as the queen nodded in appreciation. "And don't be surprised if your grandchild ends up participating in the flying derby or ice-skating events."

Queen Delora smiled. "I'll keep that in mind…" She clasped her hands together. "Anyway, I spent a majority of my time with my husband. He was my best friend and the main person I trusted, aside from my royal witch at the time: Valencia. She was a wonderful woman: kind, passionate about her craft, mischievous even… But I liked that about her." She hummed once. "When she told me that she was retiring for health reasons, I didn't take it well. I'm afraid that I don't do change very well."

Sofia smiled sheepishly, knowing that she wasn't that different in that respect.

"While she trained Abigail, her former protégé, in her place, I had a habit of shutting the new girl out. I didn't want anything to do with her. She'd never be as good as Valencia, I thought. And honestly, it wasn't until Abbi literally pulled me aside and actually put me in my place that I started changing my mind."

The younger girl blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah." She laughed softly. "She told me I was treating her poorly, and she could easily find work somewhere else if I wanted to behave like a brat."

Sofia gasped. "She _said _that?" Hearing the queen laugh harder, the princess's mouth dropped. "Wow… So, what happened?"

"I gave her a chance, and we got to know each other better both before and after Valencia retired, and now I consider her one of my closest friends… And one of the _only _female friends I have, as she recently reminded me." Seeing the princess's perplexed look, she smiled calmly. "I wasn't fair to you when you visited. I don't think I even realized what I was doing until after a few of my staff pointed it out to me once you were already gone… I was treating you like a child instead of the young woman you are. I didn't even get to know both of you like I should have; I know what the Magical Ambassador program is about, so I knew better. So, for any hard feelings between us, I sincerely apologize. And I assure you that our next visit will be far more pleasant, for all of us."

Hearing that was like a weight lifted off her shoulders, but Sofia still felt a heavy burden in her heart. It was her turn now. "And I'm sorry too, Queen Delora. I'm usually a lot more positive and much kinder to people, but I was awful to you. And even though you were clearly more comfortable around Cedric, I shouldn't have taken it so personally and just let you guys talk and work together. I was raised to be royal _and_ loyal, but I was also taught to do what's right; if that means stepping back and letting someone else lead for a change, then so be it." She frowned as she grasped her amulet and slid it along the chain of her necklace until it connected with the tiny raven charm. "I shouldn't have behaved the way I did. Cedric's my best friend, but that doesn't mean I can't share him with other people…"

Queen Delora laughed. "I was the same way with my husband, honestly. I loved him so much and wanted him all to myself most of the time. It makes sense, though, when it's someone you care about." She smiled toward the princess, who looked away shyly. "I think the bond that you and Cedric share is absolutely wonderful. I could feel the love and admiration just watching you hug him earlier. I haven't seen any partnership like that in a very long time: something selfless and…just _real_."

Sofia nodded quietly. She knew what she shared with Cedric was special. They'd been through a _lot _together at this point. Queen Delora didn't even know the half of it, and yet she was able to see something there after watching them for a few moments? "We…worked very hard to get to where we are today." She looked up toward the queen with a calm stare. "It wasn't easy. We went through a lot of ups and downs, trial and error, laughter and tears, to get here. And we're obviously not perfect, but I'd rather be imperfect with him than perfectly alone."

"You need to patent that saying," the queen joked, causing the princess to giggle. "Anyway, I say we wipe the slate clean and start all over. I know you're both anxious to get home to your little girl, so I won't keep you long."

She blinked. "Cedric told you about Nana?"

"A bit. He said you were both raising her after adopting her from a nearby village when her parents were killed or something?"

Sofia smiled tensely. Well… It wasn't the complete truth, but the real story behind her charge's origins were far too in depth to explain now, especially since they had limited time left on their journey. "Something like that."

...

* * *

Cedric and Sofia finally got to interact with Abigail a bit more, and Sofia made sure to include Halford and the guards in their discussions later on. She found the entire castle staff friendly and courteous, and she made sure they knew how much she appreciated that.

After finally hearing the island experience Cedric and Sofia had gone through the past few weeks, Queen Delora insisted that they stay at least the night so that they could rest, eat properly, and then head home. Considering how tired they were after the day's (weeks') events, they accepted gratefully.

* * *

The following day while riding home in the like-new AutoCoach, Sofia leaned up against Cedric's shoulder and took his hand, garnering his attention. "First thing's first: did you set the coordinates?"

He smirked. "Yes, Sofia."

"Good. Second thing: do you think anyone at home will actually believe our story?"

He laughed. "Maybe… I mean, stranger things _have _happened in the past, so I don't think they'll be too terribly surprised. But…" He shrugged his free shoulder as she watched him. "Perhaps we shouldn't say anything, Sofia."

She blinked. "Why not?"

"Well… I don't necessarily recall anything, but from what you've told me, the entire debacle was rather embarrassing—for me especially." Seeing her smirking at him, he rolled his eyes. "I'd rather not have something that Cordelia can use as blackmail against me later on, if you don't mind."

She giggled. "Good point… I guess we'll just tell everyone that we had a little _adventure_ on the beach before heading home."

He raised an eyebrow at her wording, shaking his head. "I don't know why, but that almost sounds worse…" He cleared his throat as she blinked. "How about we just not say _anything_? They don't need to know that we actually finished our Magical Ambassador travels early. Of course, it _did _happen, but I think some things are best left unsaid."

"Yeah, you're probably right." She released his arm and smiled as he instead wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

* * *

They arrived in Enchancia late that evening, when the sky was already dark and the stars were already visible.

Sofia stepped out of the AutoCoach, Cedric right behind her, and she breathed in deeply, cherishing the familiar scent of the lush vegetation surrounding the castle. She could feel the wonderful warmth of summer but also the occasional breeze from the water as it wrapped around her. "It is _so_ good to be home," she sighed as a few guards began unloading their luggage.

Cedric chuckled and placed one hand on her back, leading her into the castle.

Cordelia was humming softly as she relaxed on her very pink bed, a sleepy little strawberry child curled up on her lap as the sorceress rubbed her back. She'd been in charge of Nana for the last few weeks, since Amber and Desmond were away visiting his family, and the king and queen had been bogged down with several meetings, leaving little time for the child. Thankfully, she'd had Calista's and Angel's help—and even Baileywick and Nigel had pitched in every now and again. But for the most part, she'd taken the little one under her wing.

She blinked as she heard a soft knock on her door. "It's open." She smiled as she saw her brother and the princess enter the room. "Oh, my… Someone's going to be excited."

Nana, hearing more whispers than just Cordelia's, blinked her eyes open and sat up, her tiny fists wiping the sleep from her eyes. She lit up like a Wassailia tree when she saw her guardians, and she could hardly contain her excitement as she leapt from the older sorceress's lap into Sofia's awaiting arms.

"Oh, Nana," Sofia laughed, holding back happy tears as she kissed the little girl's forehead and caressed her hair. "Were you a good girl while we were gone?"

"The best," Cordelia gushed. "I even taught her a few new spells. Granted, she can't exactly _say_ them, but she certainly recognizes them when I recite the words. She also knows a thing or two more about certain potions." She winked toward Nana. "Fast little learner you two are raising."

Nana giggled softly until she felt herself being passed over to another set of arms. She smiled happily up at Cedric, her tiny hands framing his face as she mimicked Sofia's earlier motion of pulling his head down and kissing his forehead.

Cedric chuckled. "I missed you so much, Nana." He hugged her gently as she returned the affection. He then glanced toward Sofia, who smiled at him. "I think we should take her with us next time. I missed her too much."

She giggled and nodded as Nana beamed excitedly. "I agree. Next year, little Strawbaby, you'll be coming with us."

"A family affair," Cordelia reasoned, laughing. "Sounds reasonable." She then became serious as she pointed toward the door. "Now get out. It's my bedtime, and I need my beauty sleep." She then smiled sweetly. "And welcome home."

Cedric rolled his eyes as he held Nana in one arm before pulling Sofia out with his free hand. As the princess shut the door and began walking with him along the hallways, he yawned. "I don't know about you, but I will be sleeping in tomorrow morning." He smiled as Nana copied his yawning motion, her tiny hand patting her mouth as she smiled sleepily at her guardians. "You too, eh?"

"I agree." Sofia then snickered as a thought occurred to her. "I just realized that you left your beloved 'Jess' on the island. Do you think he'll be all right by himself?"

Cedric laughed. "I'm sure he'll 'roll' with the punches."

She smirked at him. "That was _so_ corny."

He just smiled and shrugged as they continued on their way down the hallway.

* * *

The beach in the middle of Nowhere was deserted at sunset. The clouds above were beginning to darken as a soft rumble of thunder echoed across the sky.

A lone, worn, broken little rugby ball sat solitary on the beach, 'staring' out at the ocean, with a single 'tear' rolling down its surface and smudged 'face' as the rain finally began to fall.

The end!


End file.
